My Vocabulary Did This to Me

For those worried about the effects of drink, there may be some lessons in the life of West Coast poet Jack Spicer who drank himself to death in 1965 at age 40.

On his hospital death bed he blamed his imminent demise on his vocabulary.

Imagine that. What a tribute to the terrible power of words.

Here is the New York Times review of:

MY VOCABULARY DID THIS TO ME: The Collected Poetry of Jack Spicer

The review says that Spicer would often avoid conventional forms of poetry and expression and deliver his art without words.

So was it really the words, his vocabulary, that killed him in the end? Or was it something deeper, like the drink within?

And if so, when "drink" finds drink - is that really a deadly combo?

Now, another question comes up - who cares?

Life is short any way and the guy made his own choices - and he apparently made great art using words, vocabulary.

Would we be talking about this guy today if "drink" hadn't met drink?