Protester Matt Walden, 19, described Street Poet as "a very loving man who happened to find us and find a home. The system never gave a sh*t about him, but we did. I see him as a martyr for the Occupy Wall Street movement. Guys like him -- the ones who slip through the cracks of our society -- are the reason we occupy."
Street Poet's last day on earth was possibly his best one. He'd been treated to a home-cooked meal and got some new clothes. He performed for a receptive crowd of 50-60 people, many of whom had never noticed how talented he was until that moment. He had said on several occasions that in the last two weeks he had found his true family, that he was happier than he had ever been.
"He read a poem about his being homeless and it was quite moving," said local attorney Jay Trenary, who also moderates the Occupy OKC legal committee. "He was a great guy, kind heart. We had a candlelight memorial for him last night."
There is talk of a larger, more public gathering in his honor later this week.
The last time I saw Street Poet two nights ago, he ran up to me as I was on my way home, threw his arms around me and blurted out the words "I love you." I hugged him back and told him I loved him too. "Go tell my story," he said. "Tell the world in your article."
Little did I know then just how prophetic that final request would turn out to be. Now I'm sitting here two days later writing his obituary. The sweet kid I came to regard as my new little brother suddenly turned out to be the first casualty of the revolution.
Street Poet wanted me to tell his story, and I've done my best under the circumstances. But he told his own story better than I ever could, anyway:
I would like to think I've changed
And who I am
I'd like to think I'm now a man.
So here I stand and
I truly know this right from wrong
but should also have known it all along.
The official Occupy OKC Facebook wall filled up with messages of love, sorrow, and solidarity yesterday. Occupy groups from as far away as Portland, Oregon and Galway, Ireland shared words of support. Occupy organizations around the state (now formally united as "Occupy Oklahoma") also expressed their condolences.
"We will not let up. We will not back down." said Tim "Gonzo" Anderson. "Street Poet lives on in our every march, every chant, and every person we talk to about this movement. We are all street poets, and we call out his name as he would call out all of ours. Solidarity."
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