Sunday, September 21, 2008

Reginald Shepherd, RIP

Oh, I am just distraught.  I just found out that Reginald Shepherd died almost two weeks ago, and we hadn't even known he was ill.  I will come out of the anonymity schtick sufficiently to say that he was an old friend of S's, a complicated friend and friendship, and they have been out of touch for a while, but knowing he existed, living his difficult life and writing his incredible poetry, was just, well, it wasn't even something one thought about, just something that was.  The world was a better place because Reginald Shepherd wrote poetry in it.  And now the world is a worse place.  

And S is asleep, and in the morning I need to tell him.

This is Reginald's last poem

I am unspeakably sad.

2 comments:

Phantom Scribbler said...

I'm so sorry, Becca.

jackie said...

I'm so sorry for your loss, and for ours-- there's some really beautiful writing on that blog, so I can only imagine the power of his poems and essays.