A Tribute to Peter McWilliams

He was to poetry what Picasso was to art.
For me, his eloquence was unequaled.
Here was a man who had experienced every emotion that the heart had the capacity to feel, and unshamefully shared it with the world.
He was a “hopeless romantic”. And yet he was a hopeful romantic.

Peter’s work was raw. It was real. He spoke in a language that every human could relate to regardless of race, religion, orientation or background.
In fact, he was so gifted that I’m afraid that my words in this tribute will not sufficiently do honor to his.

As an avid reader and poet myself, I stumbled across his writings many, many years ago while browsing the selection of books at a used book store.
If I remember correctly, (because I’ve purchased quite a few), the book that began my love affair with him was “How to Survive the Loss of a Love.”
Very few poets’ work can bring me to tears; he is one of them.

Every woman longs to hear the words that he expresses, and some of us even pretend that he’s written those words for us. :-)

As I sit here today, and reflect upon his contributions to the world of creative arts, and browse through his book, “Come Love With Me and Be My Love,” I’m trying to come up with my favorite piece. I can’t.
They’re all beautiful pieces. Some are brief and playful, others are introspective and painful, and some defy description.

Here’s a sample of his work, (one of my favorites).

I wanted to
Spend the night with you
Eat with you
Take you to meet my friends
Make you one of them
Take you to bed
Make you one with me
Say I love you
Hear you say the same
Meditate, with your heart as
My mantra.

I wanted the sun,
And a goodly portion of the moon.
All I got was this poem,
Which I wanted to be
A happy one.

This year marks the anniversary of Peter McWilliams’ death.
I only recently learned of the tragedies surrounding his demise.
May he rest in peace.
May he know the many legions of fans he left behind.
May he know that his life mattered.


For more information on his works see this site: http://www.myspace.com/petermcwilliamstribute