John would
almost certainly not have felt a comparison to Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) flattering. And a poem that ends on the word "thee" after decrying "bad formalism with its bulk / of fossilized remembrance of things past" might take its own advice to heart.
But I've written memorial poems that have missed the mark far worse than this one.
I didn't attempt to write one for John, as I knew how far my best efforts would fall short. I enjoyed the ones others wrote for the
Better Than Starbucks tribute, though.