On Madness and Creativity

 
Dear Mr. Williams,  
I always admired your brilliance,
Your pizazz and energetic flow, 
How you used to run a show with non-stop verve and drive 
Accessing the deepest recesses of your mind, 
How the words just seemed to pour out, 
And sometimes not fast enough. 
 
Dear Mr. Williams, 
You brought so much joy and laughter to millions, 
I was always amazed at your range and scope, 
You were such a gifted and talented human being, 
That aside at laughing at your jokes, 
Your warmth seemed to give others hope. 
 
But when I heard the news of your demise, 
I wondered why or how could it be, 
That such a person with great creativity, 
Could keep their pain from the public eye. 
 
Were you also a tortured soul? 
Where the madness down inside could not let go? 
And that despite whatever demons in your head, 
You transferred them into wonderful things instead. 
We didn’t see your suffering, 
At first it all seemed so puzzling, 
But little by little I came to understand. 
 
I’m lucky to have lived in the same time, 
To have witnessed such a genius, 
And since I have not words to depart, 
I’ll simply use Whitman’s expression to heart, 
O Captain! My Captain!