tom raworth [r.i.p.]

i don't know where to begin because there has been a lot of death recently but of course death is part of life and all of us are getting older than we might like

i've been a long time reader/admirer of tom raworth

i didn't know him personally tho he did send me a birthday greeting many years back via email and i always wondered how he knew my birthday i think he had a gift for such greetings and must've possessed a talent for significant dates

what i admired about this poet is his goodness a lovely man devoted to his family his devotion was mightily in evidence on his website where he posted thousands of pictures of his children grandchildren family outings events etc etc

such is proof that one can be an excellent poet and a good person with a happy family

i am grateful that tom raworth was in the world and wrote some of the zippiest poetry i know

his influence is obvious in my decision to write like his poetry in lower-case around the time when i read raworth's mammoth collected poems published in i believe 2003 or 2004

oh and don't forget his appearance and dress an admixture of the domestic and bohemian an earring a couple of faded tattoos a bushy mustache and kind eyes

we can't stay on earth forever and now that i am so much older than i thought i'd get my own life is just a blink in time but while we are here we can love and create as best we can touching as many people as we are able by the simple acts of being a good person

i believe tom raworth was such a person and for those of us who admire and love his poetry and his person we are made better by his example of a good life in poetry