Reason behind his sorrow and death had been unknown until his journal was revealed after his death. He was stabbed 14 times by a woman with nails painted red and purple and hair black as midnight, his favorite colors. Police opened the last page of his journal which he scratched the cover of with a dagger, only to find the sonnet that made it all clear.
"Grave that I grief,
My little lady's heart you impose upon.
Mark my words, young one
After this bottle, you're done.
Dark clouds setting my sun,
Casting shadows upon this lonely misery.
If I belt down any more whiskey
I shall rain blood upon thee.
Now that you took my darling's tender heart away from me
All the butterflies in my stomach dying tenderly
Unlike the everlasting anger that grit my teeth.
I had a fight with the woman whose hair black as midnight,
She says she'll send me to kingdom come
If the days of your grave ever come."
Kathleen by Townes Van Zandt. I'll see you soon.