As I mourned by the sea, two images came to mind, watermarking the
paper-colored sky. The first was the face of his wife, Laurie. She was
his mirror; in her eyes you can see his kindness, sincerity, and
empathy. The second was the “great big clipper ship” that he longed to
board, from the lyrics of his masterpiece, “Heroin.” I envisioned it
waiting for him beneath the constellation formed by the souls of the
poets he so wished to join. Before I slept, I searched for the
significance of the date—October 27th—and found it to be the birthday of both Dylan Thomas and Sylvia Plath. Lou had chosen the perfect day to
set sail—the day of poets, on Sunday morning, the world behind him.
- Patti Smith on Lou Reed's death
descensus Averno facilis est