Gone at the age of 86.
…But to describe her as only a poet denies the scope of her life and work.
Great poetry is dear to me, all the more because I am a lackluster poet. Maya remains a titan and an inspiration, and the world is a darker place because her flame isn’t lighting it now. Damn. I may have more coherent words later, but I wanted to at least mark the day I found out she’d died.
If you don’t know who Maya Angelou was, please go check out her Wiki entry. I’d include a link to her website, but it’s experiencing heavy traffic right now.