Fare Thee Well, Ross Moyer

Ross Moyer, Poet and Story Teller, Journalist

Ross, I had barely begun to know you. Almost seven months ago you attended the first Poetry Under the Paintings event in Lewisburg and you have faithfully attended ever since, gracing us each month with your wit, rhyme, sarcasm and that winking smile. You will be missed.

The last time you and I talked was three weeks ago when we had to divert from our usual reading spot at Faustina’s Gallery to another location last-minute. We ended up hanging out in the window alcove at The Brassiere. Eight of us and a bouncing baby trying to hear each other over the bar patrons. But it was a unique event, and you and I seemed to enjoy it the most. On the way back to our cars we chatted and exchanged emails, and I promised to send you the link to your October videos on YouTube.

Telling Stories at Cherry Alley — Telling Tall Tales at Cherry Alley

You added me on Facebook, but I hadn’t gotten around to sending the links to you yet when I heard about the stroke, and that your recovery was not going well. Within days we lost you. We lost you much too soon.

Thank you for choosing to spend those evenings with us. I wish I had gotten the chance to get to Cherry Alley to hear your stories, or join you at Page Grinders as you invited us to do that night in the bar window seat. It was good to know you for however brief a time. I promise you, we will keep the tradition going. Fare thee well.

And here is a short clip of Ross and Brian. Ross had asked for some sort of military marching music, and Brian delightfully got carried away. I will miss moments like this.

Death On Facebook Now Common As ‘Dead Profiles’ Create Vast Virtual Cemetery (huffingtonpost.com)
Poetry Under the Paintings, Sampler #2 (DadPoet.Wordpress.com)

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David J. Bauman

December 10, 2012

7 responses to “Fare Thee Well, Ross Moyer”

Michele Kittell

December 10, 2012 at 1:34 am

Thank you for sharing this…I only saw Ross that one time and he had written a funny and lively poem right on the spot and shared it ! He seemed like someone who really enjoyed life. Nice to have the video to remember him.

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sonofwalt

December 10, 2012 at 1:39 am

Thanks for replying, Michelle. I wish I had had time to get to know him better.

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SoloWytch

December 10, 2012 at 8:58 pm

It’s been a bad year for poets…

This past summer a poet friend of mine also had a stroke: he recovered enough to be alert and oriented, and to decide that enough was enough and that he was ready to go on. Dr. Ronald F. Smits was the person responsible for getting me to write again and the world is an emptier place without his encouragement and enthusiasm.

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1. sonofwalt
  
  December 10, 2012 at 11:18 pm
  
  My condolences, SW. Thank you for sharing that here.
  
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John

December 12, 2012 at 12:50 am

A nice tribute to one of life’s Characters. Storytellers are a true gift to the world.
Thank you for introducing me to Ross.

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1. sonofwalt
  
  December 12, 2012 at 3:47 pm
  
  It was my pleasure. I wish I had more of his stories and poems on film.
  
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David J. Bauman

September 30, 2013 at 11:37 am

Reblogged this on The Dad Poet and commented:

Facebook tells me this morning that today is the birthday of poet and storyteller Ross Moyer. We lost Ross as the result of a bad stroke back in December, and our stories have been a bit duller, our rhythm a little less punchy and are rhymes less surprising. I had known him only seven months.

The first time I met him at Poetry Under the Paintings, someone later wryly referred to his “grumpy old man poems.” I think he would have laughed and liked that. I think he would have owned that as a compliment, and I’m glad I at least got to know a little more of him in the next seven months, enough to know his tales and verse were more than that.

I still cannot get out of my head that night of poetry at the bar, and walking back to our cars, sharing contact information and an appreciation of each other’s art that was the beginning of a promising friendship. He was upbeat and peaceful at the same time that night,. Three weeks later you were gone.

This short memorial post that I am reblogging from December has some of the the only video footage I have of Ross at his work, which was also a favorite play time for him it seems.

I was just getting to know you, Ross. I found myself looking up to you that night on the sidewalk, though you spoke to me tenderly and enthusiastically, like a valued college. I’ll never forget that, friend. I wish you were here to celebrate this birthday. I’m sure you would have had a witty, sly rhyme or two in response to these birthday wishes. I can only say that I am glad you were born. Would that our friendship had been longer.

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