Albert Speer Jr. 1934-2017 Every boy wants to be his father To be his equal and to further his reflection But could blood be less thick than water? A needle of evil, a Fuhrer injection “My whole life I have tried To distance myself from him.” The Reich and his father long ago died Yet … Read More
September 22 – On This Day The sun shines directly on the equator A balance of dark and light The inexorable slide to the nadir Begins in earnest tonight Every evening light retreats As dark seeks to rule the day And then on the very brink of defeat The sun shifts back our way We … Read More
September 21 – On This Day Benedict Arnold committed treason (that was wrong back in the day) He felt he had a pretty good reason: “Theater” shouldn’t be spelled that way Burgundy changes sides in the “Hundred Years’ War”: “It’s been eighty years, let’s try a new plan!” Some must have forgotten what they were … Read More
September 15 – On This Day It’s the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows Mary’s sacred day for Christians But since the morning when the Czar rose Our Lady is Hillary Clinton The first public school is founded in Europe Society starts a new chapter Unexpected expenses are bound to turn up; the first bake … Read More
Walter Becker 1950-2017 Pop music had a void to be filled, so these two boys had a hunch: First, name their band after the dildo from William Burroughs’s Naked Lunch (some bands come apart right at the start before unpacking their guitars Some want bizarre, some want art Other just want “The Cars”) Second, make … Read More
John Abercrombie 1944-2017 My guess is that the Philadelphia Spectrum Has had throughout the years Many who have asked the simple question: “What am I doing here?” Granted most doing the asking Were lost in drug-dazzled delusion But at least one was carefully crafting His part in rock- jazz fusion Abercrombie was just getting some … Read More
Sonny Burgess 1929-2017 He played frantic, jangling guitar One of the most electrifying stars In the Sun Records galaxy in Memphis He fell, met mortality and left us He played lead with full-tilt loco Growled and shrieked a manic vocal Though crowds went crazy as he tore it apart He and The Pacers never made … Read More
Marian C. Diamond 1926-2017 Acetylcholinesterase. It’s good to have a lot if you are wending through a maze as a rat (or not – I go down dead-end lanes though I’ve been that way before That enzyme of the brain? I could use a little more) Acetylcholinesterase. It’s fortunate we got it Without it we … Read More