2012 is Almost History - The Year in Poetic Review

Just when I thought I'd put the whole year to bed as far posting new stories is concerned, along came this unexpected poem in my email this morning. I shouldn't be surprised that Art Cashin  has poetry in his little bag of literary talents but I had never really thought about it. So it was a delightful discovery at the bottom of the stocking I thought I had already emptied on Christmas morning. I hope you all enjoy this entry as much as we did over our morning coffee today. 

Regular posting will resume after the holidays. Thanks for reading our offerings all year, we hope to continue to find interesting historical popcorn for you to snack on during 2013.

Happy New Year from Cheeky History.

By Art Cashin   

'Tis four days yet to New Year 

    but despite what you’re hopin’ 

The folks in the Board Room 

    say “the full eve we'll stay open” 

So we'll buy and we'll sell 

  as the tape crawls along 

And though "Bubbly's" verboten 

  we may still sing a song 

 Two Thousand and Twelve 

    had some spots of high hopes 

They may get fumbled away 

    by those Washington dopes 

The Prez and the Speaker 

    called each other a stiff 

Then went home for Christmas 

  as we slid toward that cliff 

But hold it a minute 

  they're all rushing back 

Yet a sense of good feeling 

  they still seem to lack 

We lost special people 

  as we seem to each year 

It just makes us treasure 

  each one that’s still here 

   Jack Klugman's messy Oscar 

  finally picked up his stuff 

Even Dick Clark, thought eternal,   

  said that he'd had enough 

   

Andy Williams, "Mr. Christmas", 

  took his act up on high 

And now Vidal Sassoon   

  just blows angel's hair dry

Neil Armstrong who once gave us 

  a great leap for mankind 

Joined Sally Ride for a trip 

  to the deepest space they could find 

Whitney Houston joined angels 

  to sing a heavenly song 

Rodney King followed after 

  we're sure he'll just get along 

Larry Hagman, of Dallas 

  who dreamt of Jeannie before 

Joined McCale's Ernie Borgnine 

  on that celestial shore 

Robin Gibb of the Bee Gee's 

  and the Monkees Davy Jones 

Left behind their gold records 

  and ascended some thrones 

Now Mayberry's Sheriff 

  Andy Griffith is gone  

And Fang's wife, Phyllis Diller 

  has also moved on 

Harold Hill – a "Goodfella" 

  has pulled his last job 

He's in eternal protection 

  far away from the mob 

As Joe Paterno departed 

  his great record was stained 

Gone were decades of glory 

  just his silence remained 

  

There were whackos with weapons 

  temples and theaters they defiled 

And in a New England first grade 

  a madman murdered each child 

We all stood in horror 

  none could full comprehend 

We each hugged our kids closer 

  saying this madness must end 

We had droughts and wildfires   

  storms and floods by the score 

Seemed no region was spared 

  "climate change" claimed Al Gore 

The Prez got re-elected    

  not as close as some thought 

Donald Trump and some others 

  claimed the whole thing was bought 

   

YOLO is a text slogan   

  means you only live once 

But some folks abuse it   

  to act like a dunce 

All over the nation   

  women hurried to pay  

For three little volumes     

  about some Shades of Grey 

    

A Korean Rapper 

  got WEB hits by the pile 

As he waved and wiggled 

  in what he called Gangnam style 

   

Clint Eastwood debated 

  a small empty chair 

As most delegates wondered 

  just why he was there 

Facebook finally went public   

  its debut was a flop 

Nasdaq spewed out sell orders  

  that systems just wouldn't stop 

Shuttles went to museums 

  but we still reach for the stars 

We landed a Rover 

  quite safely on Mars  

Mitt went after Big Bird 

  Greek yogurt's a craze 

Taylor Swift and Adele 

  Keep young fans in a daze 

The Supremes threw a curve ball 

  on some Obamacare facts 

Where some saw a mandate   

   Roberts saw just a tax 

Prince Harry in Vegas 

   played strip Billiards, he said 

Friends quickly took pictures 

  but they were not of his head 

  

Lance was stripped of his titles   

  and Petraeus resigned 

Our heroes keep falling   

  and few new ones we find 

Let not this year's memories 

  of sadness or sleaze 

Disturb you this day 

  just give your heart ease 

Have faith that this New Year 

  will bring a new sign 

And believe in yourself 

   it will all work out fine 

Just lift up your spirits 

  and some fruit of the vine 

And kiss ye a loved one 

  and sing Auld Lange Syne 

And late Monday evening 

  as you watch the ball fall 

Wish yourself all the best  

  Happy New Year to All!!