Jan. 26, 1788 — First prisoner colony, New South Wales
Jan. 26, 1950 — Republic of India established
It’s Australia Day
Let’s raise a toast to the land
Of second chances
And in India
Democracy for millions
Born of Gandhi’s blood
Warren Zevon, Jan. 24, 1947 — Sept. 7, 2003
John Belushi, Jan. 24, 1949 — March 5, 1982
Zevon, Belushi
Does “birth” describe arrival?
More like “eruption”?
Zevon, Belushi
Two volcanoes of talent
Nothing could contain
Zevon, Belushi
Werewolves and Animal House
“Rah-hoooo!” and “Food fight!”
Zevon, Belushi
Shared a birthday, their demons
A death wish, times two
Zevon, Belushi
Too many drinks, hits and smokes
The real blues brothers
Belushi, untamed
Star-crossed and drug-crucified
Dead at 33
Belushi, a waste
When laughter died, tombstone said,
“Rock and roll lives on”
Zevon, redemption
For Mr. Bad Example
Some extra decades
Friends sobered him up
Music saved him till cancer
Ripped his lungs out, Jim
Zevon, Belushi
Left on the wind; let’s keep them
In our hearts awhile
Etta James, Jan. 25, 1938 — Jan. 20, 2012
Life is like a song
It must reach its end and yet
Echo on and on
Edgar Allen Poe, Jan. 19, 1809 — Oct. 7, 1849
He passed through this world
Like a wraith on holiday
A solid shadow
Abandoned, orphaned
Breathing disembodied words
Instead of Earth’s air
University,
Army, West Point had no use
For this phantom man
But the phantom’s words
Insinuated, haunted
Recesses most dark
Poet and critic,
Macabre’s master, creator
Of detective lit
Child cousin his bride
(Foreshadowing Jerry Lee)
Her death did them part
Before his heart stopped
Poe’s pen poured out his terrors
Still tingling today
Poe man’s haiku:
Flutter in the dark
Raven wings, or telltale heart
Terror of unknown
Single bead of sweat
Right between the shoulder blades
Defies gravity
Rustle in the dark
Fevered brain, or rodent’s claws?
Imagined, it’s real
Peter Mark Roget
Jan. 18, 1779 — Sept. 12, 1869
It’s Thesaurus Day
Should we celebrate, revel,
Proclaim, or extol?
There’s a synonym
For thesaurus: lexicon
“Glossary” comes close
Peter Mark Roget
Doctor, inventor, researched
TB, laughing gas
Made log-log slide rule,
Tried to make calculator
More powers to him!
Studied optics, liked
Kaleidoscopes, but we know
What he’s famous for
“Roget’s Thesaurus
“Of English Words and Phrases”
Stuffed with synonyms
Of him we’re in awe
(Or reverential wonder)
And don’t lack for words
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Betty White, Jan. 17, 1922
Betty White, 90:
Shows us how to keep going,
Laughing, having fun
Betty White, great roles:
Snide Sue Ann, Golden Girl Rose,
Host of SNL
Betty White, great looks:
Once a babe, always a babe
She likes hearing that
Betty White, roll on:
But the prez wants to see your
Birth certificate
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jan. 15, 1925 — April 4, 1968
A day to reflect
Resolve again to make real
A dream that won’t die
And re-postings from last year on April 4, Aug. 28 (March on Washington) and Oct. 16 (King Memorial dedication) should follow on the blog here.
Nicolas Steno, Jan. 11, 1638 — Dec. 5, 1686
Nicolas Steno
Father of geology
His legacy rocks
Check Google’s salute
To this foundational dude
From 1600s
Centuries before
Chuck Berry, Little Richard
The man could dig it
An upper crust guy
Yet he studied all layers
And how strata formed
He was all about
Things gettin’ horizontal
Just like rock ‘n’ roll
Nicolas Steno
Father of geology
His legacy? Rocks!
Clarence Clemons, Jan. 11, 1942 — June 18, 2011
Someday soon we’ll laugh
Till we cry, but today we
Just miss you, with tears
And from June 19:
E Street, Jungleland
10th Avenue all missing
The Big Man tonight
Bruce Springsteen said of Clarence Clemons:
“Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly 40 years. He was my great friend, my partner and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.”
Eddie Vedder on Letterman, “Without You,” June 20, 2011:
Rod Stewart, Jan. 10, 1945
I could really do without all the latter-day Sinatra stuff. But what a singer — and rocker, whenever he wants to be.
Rooster hair, soulful
Rasp and croon aged well. Rod, we
Still think you’re sexy
Greg's Hack-u 