Written for my Uncle Al Preskill’s birthday 4-23-81
You showed us how to write a line with grace and infinite finesse,
A well-placed word, an accent fine, just long enough; no more, no less!
Sonnets, songs and ballads flowed from your heart and from your pen,
With all the elegance you showed in all you did, time and again!
Sing Mikado? All the roles? Or ditties back to World War One?
No audience but us; no goals but endless nights of warmth and fun.
Your life excelled in all it’s parts; husband, father, uncle, friend,
And intellect and homely arts found their satisfying blend.
You thought three score and ten was time to seat yourself upon a laurel?
Forget that prickly seat tonight; such relaxation is immoral!
You’ve been our teacher by example of life abundant with élan,
These seventy are just a sample, on to the real stuff of your plan!
Publish your collected works? That bakery that the North Shore lacks?
Write a book of walking tours and wildlife seen along the tracks?
San Diego? Boston? or Champaign? Be a modern Coronado?
Invent new ways (we won’t complain) to serve up lots of avocado?
Like Karsh of Highland Park display new pictures of Felisa and Adam,
And tell us of the tricks they played when you and Frances baby-sat ‘em!
You’ve got a lot of things to do, so one more line, and lets’ get on:
Our love and kisses straight to you, from Joan and Ed and Dan and John!
Happy Birthday Uncle Al !!!!!
