They were playing “Mack the Knife”
by Louis Armstrong at Starbucks
when I got the call from Johanna Ely,
our 6th Poet Laureate, 2016-2018:
Joel Fallon, our first Benicia Poet Laureate
had caught the morning train today
to that Big Love Poem in the Sky.
We spoke for a bit about our immediate
group plans in response, and then I called
Joel’s wife Caroyln:
“He was my Poetry Colonel, Carolyn
The only guy that outranked my Dad,
Major Philip R. Bray, Retired
and we joked about that many times,
He was such a Sweetheart,
he was like a poetry father to me.
Yes, we’ll talk more on Sunday,
at the picnic, you hug your family.”
Tears choked my end of the conversation.

Many years ago, I heard
there was a small poetry group,
that was starting to form at the library.
There was no Benicia Poet Laureate Program,
no Love Poetry Contest, no Poets’ Picnic in the Park,
no Open Mics up and down First Street Benicia,
no Joel Fallon Poetry Scholarship
for two promising Benicia high school students yearly,
no First Tuesday Poetry Group–
Just Joel in a room with a band of admirers reading poems.
All the rest has been Joel’s history and legacy
and gift to Benicia and the art of poetry.
We Love you, Joel!

©Peter Bray, 8/11/16
All Rights Reserved

Sharing is caring!