an elliott smith poem

a musical saint
for artists, addicts
and the mentally scrambled

composer of melodic dissonance
poet of dark innocence

he's so key to me
I almost couldn't write
this poem,
was tempted to leave something personal
in a world and personality
in which everything is public

but, hey if you're down
he'll depress you further
and lift you up
with amazing songs
carefully crafted through a life
of unspeakable chaos