The words ended at 4:16 AM. A life that transformed poetry forever fell silent in a Boulder home. Andrea Gibson, Colorado’s beloved poet laureate, breathed their last breath surrounded by love.
Their wife held their hand. Four ex-girlfriends stood vigil. Parents whispered final goodbyes. Friends filled every corner of the room. Three dogs curled close to their human.
Gibson died from ovarian cancer on July 14, 2025. The disease had stalked them for four relentless years. It began in 2021 when doctors delivered the devastating diagnosis. The cancer returned in 2022, forcing Gibson to cancel their planned tour. Yet they faced each treatment with defiant grace.
Cancer’s Final Word: A Four-Year Battle Of Andrea Gibson Ends in Courage
This wasn’t just any poet’s passing. Gibson had revolutionized spoken word poetry, weaving gender identity and social justice into verses that moved millions. Their seven published books challenged readers to see love differently. Their performances transformed stages into sacred spaces where truth lived unfiltered.
Andrea Gibson – poet laureate of colorado, an incredible human with a beautiful spirit, a visionary, a queer trailblazer – died today from cancer. Andrea was one of the first poets I ever read/head spoken word from. the world is dimmer today.
— val 💌 (@glowyaquarius) July 14, 2025
rest in poetry, & thank you. pic.twitter.com/2e2kc0Izic
Gibson’s death was announced on social media by their wife, Megan Falley. The announcement began with Gibson’s own prophetic words, “Whenever I leave this world, whether it’s 60 years from now, I wouldn’t want anyone to say I lost some battle. I’ll be a winner that day.” Those words proved hauntingly prescient.
The statement painted Gibson’s final moments with startling beauty. They had accomplished remarkable feats in just 49 years. Born in Calais, Maine, on August 13, 1975, Gibson became a four-time Denver Grand Slam Champion. They placed fourth in the 2004 National Poetry Slam. Their 2008 debut collection, “Pole Dancing To Gospel Hymns,” launched a career that would touch countless lives. Colorado named them Poet Laureate in 2023, recognizing their extraordinary contributions to literature and activism.
Cancer couldn’t silence Gibson’s voice entirely. The 2025 documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light” captured their chemotherapy journey with raw honesty. It showed how they danced with their diagnosis, finding beauty in unlikely places. Their final words revealed their true triumph, “I fuc**ing loved my life.” Governor Jared Polis mourned the loss of this inspiring voice who had made Colorado proud. Gibson’s death reminds us that some battles end not in defeat, but in the ultimate victory of a life lived fully, authentically, and without compromise.
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