Poet Thomas Lux, "a self-described 'literary oddball' who threw himself into teaching while remaining a dedicated master of the craft," died February 4, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. He was 70. Lux published 14 collections of poetry "and influenced a generation of writers." His books include To the Left of Time; New and Selected Poems of Thomas Lux: 1975-1995; God Particles; Child Made of Sand; The Street of Clocks; and From the Southland.
Poet Kevin Young said Lux "was not only a great poet, but a great poetry friend and friend to poetry. He was a terrific literary citizen, dedicated to trumpeting the power of poetry and championing the music and many moods of language."
From "Ode to the Unbroken World, Which Is Coming":
It must be coming, mustn’t it? Churches
and saloons are filled with decent humans.
A mother wants to feed her daughter,
fathers to buy their children things that break.
People laugh, all over the world, people laugh.
We were born to laugh, and we know how to be sad;
we dislike injustice and cancer,
and are not unaware of our terrible errors.
and saloons are filled with decent humans.
A mother wants to feed her daughter,
fathers to buy their children things that break.
People laugh, all over the world, people laugh.
We were born to laugh, and we know how to be sad;
we dislike injustice and cancer,
and are not unaware of our terrible errors.