Tags
"Auld Lang Syne", 1929, Alphonse Capone, Amos and Andy, Anne Frank, Audrey Hepburn, Babe Ruth, Bingo, Birthday remembrance, Calvin Coolidge, Charles Lindbergh, Claire Hodgeson, Edward Asner, Foam Rubber, Frances Orlando, Francis C. Kenel, Francis Carl Kenel, Golden Gate Bridge, Grace Kelly, Herbert Hoover, Hugo Award, June Carter (Cash), MLK, Mount Rushmore, Popeye, Richard Byrd, San Francisco, Stock Market Crash, Television, Transatlantic Cable broken, Trotsky, Yasser Arafat
Limping duck was Calvin Coolidge
the year that MLK was born,
Popeye opened jar of spinach,
Trotsky from Politburo thrown.
Arrested Frances Orlando
dressed in male haberdashery,
canine Buddy, seeing eye-dog,
was the first USA had seen.
Chicago’s bloody Valentine
delivered by Alphonse Capone,
meanwhile in west South Dakota
plan for four smiling faces grown.
San Francisco’s bridge was Golden
as Herbert Hoover took the reigns
(October would be frightening
as from skyscrapers did men rain.)
Belgium gave us Audrey Hepburn,
Babe Ruth married Claire Hodgeson,
Lindbergh jumped the broom with Murrow
and Yasser Arafat was born.
Anne Frank came into existence,
eleven years stayed German free,
born was Valerie June Carter
whose marriage to Cash made a scene.
Television was invented
same year foam rubber first appears,
Jackie B who’d marry J.F.
serve as First Lady bout three years.
Radio Amos and Andy,
first US roller coaster scene,
Berlin Nazis clashed with Commies,
MOMA modern art was seeing.
Grace Kelly, Princess Monaco,
Edward Asner, Mary’s Lou Grant,
Transatlantic Cable broken,
Richard Byrd’s airplane South Pole went.
Edwin Lowe created BINGO!
nudists got naked, NYC,
Guy Lombardo played “Auld Lang Syne”
Hugo sci-fi literary.
Pivotal nineteen-twenty-nine,Francis
techno and sociology,
this was the year of Father’s birth
far reaching changes Dad did see.
Expectations of the father
visited on daughters and sons,
bedrock through years we counted on
from mortal coil transitioned.
At times we would see eye to eye,
while others we stood toe to toe,
but through happiness and sorrow
kept searching for Esperanto.
A great language universal,
a means for both to speak and hear,
thoughts we failed to communicate?
Hearts always held each other dear.
Wishing you a happy birthday,
you who have sailed to great beyond,
beyond reach of conversation
we’ve no more means to correspond.
I choose to believe you hear me
out in mighty, vast universe
I’m transmitting, you’re receiving
with recap Dad’s birth year in verse.