By the Eternal Bonfire

Last night the world lost a poet who was much bigger than he ever acted.  Walter Butts taught me things about the nuts and bolts of poetry in the gentlest way possible, showing me how to use poetry in new ways to survive darkness.  At a time when all the grief in my world seemed to board a single train and head directly at me, I would write lines of words, stack them into stanzas and heave these bricks in Walter’s direction, feeling lighter for having shared them, and for knowing that his kindness and generosity would help me say what I needed to say.

Rest in peace Walter, I hope there’s plenty of whiskey and the rain has let up.