rob allan [1945 - 2021]

i've long professed that all poets are brothers & sisters, present & past & future.  an ancient messy sometimes unhappy family of all kinds, types, voices etc etc.  i feel that way by reading poems, biographies, letters, emails & now blogs, tweets & other platforms of social media.

i discovered the dunedin, nz poet rob allan by his twitter feed.  i never met allan or sent him an email.  rather i was a distant observer as the poet was a 21st C flaneur who frequently published his photographs on his platform.  allan possessed a gracious & generous mind by his promotion of his fellow poets by his often reposts & retweets.  his twitter was chock full of wonderful content whether it be created by himself or fellow poets & artists.  

still, the world is vast, strange, weird, beautiful, & nearer because of our digital culture[s].  rob allan's social media is a proof that digital platforms can be causes of good works.  i'd visit his twitter feed nearly daily.  allan's last post was october 8.  it being not terribly unusual for social media users to take breaks.  but rob allan was prolific.  today i learned he passed away in october after a short illness.  nothing in the poet's published tweets hinted at such a finality.  we all will die but the suddenness of death is astonishing.  at least for me.  

the suddenness of death makes me think that we - i - must make more of my love of my art & my brothers & sisters in the art.  i fear i do not do enough to send my love & appreciation of their lives & works.  i didn't do that for rob allan.  even tho i never personally knew him i will miss the kiwi poet.  

his friend & fellow poet kay mckenzie cooke published this warm memoriam of the poet rob allan.  you can read some of his poems here.