The great Puerto Rican poet and author Piri Thomas passed away last week. A staple in the world of Latino literature Thomas perfectly captured the urban struggle of Nuyoricans in Spanish Harlem with his autobiography “Down These Mean Streets”, a book that was introduced to me by my older brother and remains in the family library. Thomas was vulgar, uncensored, and raw yet he captured a very spiritual element in his work. In his poem “If In The Moment of Passing” he writes “I am not a poet who makes things unreal, I am a poet who makes one feel the strength that is in our people”, I find it’s that note that made me and millions of other readers fall in love with his work. He understood being monetarily poor didn’t mean you couldn’t be rich in spirit and that thought alone gave many hope of something better to come. Aside from authoring books and penning poems Thomas helped rehabilitate ex-cons and was one the founders of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. A true Renaissance man. Piri Thomas was a Poet. Puerto Rican. and Poor. [punto.]

Below is the great documentary “Every Child Is Born A Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas” presented by independent lens on PBS. Enjoy.

“Poetry was a way out. Poetry is wisdom. Poetry is spiritual.”