Hi! My name is Dana Benz and I am from Bethel, Connecticut. I am a 27-year-old hyper-realistic portrait artist and writer. Here is my colored pencil portrait of Robin Williams and my poem to go with it. May this tribute honor him well and be a blessing to fellow fans. Rest in peace, Robin McLaurin Williams. We will always love you.

Oh Captain, my Captain,

Oh Robin, our Robin…

It is difficult to lose your soul

but we are trying to cope.

You were so epic and your talent

Brightened up countless families and homes.

Your breath-taking abilities

never ceased to amaze us.

We attended your performances

and are still singing your praises.

You were first discovered on Mork and Mindy.

As time went on, your talent progressed.

And when we saw you in your first Indie,

We were quite impressed.

You were incomparable and one of a kind.

When you jumped in front of a crowd, boy, did you shine.

But now, you have signed off

And we will never forget you.

“Na-Nu Na-Nu.”

You woke us with your iconic voice,

Wishing us to have a morning that was good.

You showed us that it was okay to be different

Even if we were misunderstood.

And just like Peter pan,

Our memories of you will never grow old.

You’ve had us Captain Hook, line and sinker

From the very moment

You first said, “Hello.”

You charmed us as a pretend old woman,

As we laughed our way into believing again

That there is still hope for family.

You showed us that freedom was possible

Even for a hilarious, singing Genie.

Oh Captain, My Captain,

Oh Robin, our Robin,

You taught us to be unorthodox

And declared to us a new perspective.

Now, we promise to seize the day for you.

In your honor, we won’t let time be wasted.

You took a risk, rolled the dice

and showed us how to take an adventure.

You taught us that it’s okay to have fun

and be child-like in our nature.

In fits of laughter, you explained to a hurting soul

that there is value in letting our walls down to be exposed.

You proved that there is some good will to be hunted

and to let love into our weird little worlds.

When you stepped out on stage,

It was like watching majesty unfold.

If only people cared more about the real you

And their hearts weren’t so cold.

You were unique and always left us

Captivated, stunned and wanting more.

The unconventional things you did

Left us with our jaws stuck to the floor.

So many laughs, so many roles…

You would make our sides hurt

And have the tears stream down our cheeks.

But, little did we know, that underneath

You were suffering and struggling.

I’m sorry that you were feeling so hurt and weak.

I wish we could go back

To remove the facade and take a peek.

If only we could have known your problems.

I wish we could have cherished you

and brought to you some healing.

Oh Robin, our Robin,

Who was there for you

As you were going through your hell?

Your dreams came and you still felt empty

And broken inside of your seemingly joyous shell.

Who was brightening up your day, Robin?

Your heart is and will always be such a blessing.

You were always kind, compassionate and giving.

Who was there for you at the end of the day, Robin?

Or was it only themselves that they were considering?

If only we could rewind the time,

We might have been able to see your mental illness

I wish that you could have grasped your own greatness

in the darkness and in the stillness.

But, there you were, amidst the crowds

And feeling utterly alone..

Oh Captain, My Captain,

Oh Robin, our Robin,

I wish we could have given you some hope.