Memorial Day, 2023

I lost my little boy

This lady said to me

I asked if she'd like me to help her find him

Is he like me?

A little older than you, she replied

A little older, she repeated in a softer voice

This time to herself

I was only eight, but thought

Brooklyn kids like me never get lost

And I asked her again, as my mother came up

She greeted the lady and took me by the hand

We said goodbye and parted

A step or two and my mom said

Her little boy is now in heaven

How do you know?

The lady has a gold star on her window

Her little boy was a man

For all the other little boys and girls

Who became men and women that way

Take care, and say thank you to them

This Memorial Day, 2023.

- HK -

Continued Emergence

“The Act of Acting”

Take a look behind you

There stand the people

Who have not reached success

Nor degrees of acclaim

What poor bastards they be

Thinking they are burdened by life

While all the while

Remaining burdenless

The "what’s missing": No audience offering applause

When life presents an opportunity, say yes or no

Either accept or decline

It’s your choice to make

No time for lingering

Earth continues to move

Chanced possibilities

Are rare without design

Preface each night's rest with a page read

Then dream each dream in contemplation

Welcome tomorrow's gospel

You’ve earned the good tidings

Enjoy the applause

-

Harvey Kalmenson

That's Life

Life can be a rim shot

“That’s Life”

Please don’t let it pass you by

You may have noticed as time fleets by we folks experience some vagaries which manage to jump out at us. Some can actually be mild blips that become merely a momentary bumpy swatch on our road toward success. Others come as unforeseen rearmament needed to safeguard one's family or friends.

Years ago, a standup comedian named Henny Youngman used some of his personal life stories while telling about one or more of life’s incidents depicting in a rapid-fire comedic fashion, ending with “rimshots”.

A rimshot [a snare drum technique] when used to accent the punchline of a joke being told by a live comedian may or may not simultaneously be played with a small cymbal crash. This was popularized in standup comedy by comedians performing at the resorts in the Catskill Mountains region. Many of these comics were known as "Borscht Belt comics".

The best illustration of how a rimshot might be applied to a comedy routine is to look at the classic style of Henny Youngman who in addition to playing a violin would tell fast-paced, one-liner type of jokes. His most famous line was "Take my wife… please!"; after he said "please", it was the drummer's duty to play a rimshot to punctuate the humor and generate laughter from the audience.

A Blessing On His Soul

It was this past Tuesday, April 25th, that Harry Belafonte passed away from us. He was ninety-six years of age. And though I never had the pleasure of meeting the man, his work will remain with me emotionally forever as an activist. Harry was a man amongst men.

Shari, our love goes out to you. Your picture with Harry will remain in my library forever. Please convey to Harry, our love and respect forever!

Cathy and Harvey Kalmenson