LOOKING AHEAD OLD

LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis

Strum the zither, clang the bell
Sound the matins, all is well.
War is out, and world's rejoicing;
Bosnians and Serbs and Croats
pull their mortars back in fear.
Rocket bursts now mean Good Year [1996].

When the new is scary, bold,
it's a time to visit old
friends and names of the past,
hoping that they thrive and last.

When reform was on the wing
who made history on the fly?
Edward Koch and Carol Greitzer
shot DeSapio out of the sky.
But new clubhouses went up.
Margot Gayle, Howard Amron,
Ken Mills, Bruce Solomon,
Ed Costikyan did things.

Chuck Kinsolving, Arlene Hershman,
Arlene Garson, Helen Sands,
Tom, Sue Ligget, Forrest, Ginger
Paradise - a gang
that created Sturm and Drang.

And the candidates that lost -
Norman Mailer, Bill F. Buckley,
Herm Badillo, Barry Farber, what a crew,
drawn to protest, threw and threw.
Chas W. Wiley of Middlesex, old friend.

Winners come to mind - John Lindsay,
Percy Sutton. Andy Stein.
Carter Burden, Eldon Clingan.

Think of the Jeffersons -
Rose Dubinsky, Bea Dolan,
Andy Kulak, Tom and Nan DeRosa.
The Albanos - Bert Regazzi,
Maureen Lynch, Vince Cuttita,
And the new Reps - Bill Fling,
Dom Crispino.

In Tilden Town, think Mickey Egeth,
Dankbergs, Lou Frank, Alice Spiegler.
Other neighbor clubs: Tom Nooter,
Klaus von Stutterheim, Irene Shea,
Sylvia Freedman, Myrna LoPree.
Steve Rosen, Peter Doukas.

Give a feast for Father Byrne's
fifty years: Phil Rothman has
platters-full of food from Abie's,
Lynda Blankenhorn will bake;
Dr. Pike will make a picture,
Rabbi Block - a sacred song;
Rabbi Alder, Pastor Amos
will be there to hum along.
Aldon James will nominate him,
Doyle and Bringmann standing by,
He can be a landmark also,
if Jack Taylor has his way
(fifty years should qualify).
Local bards will celebrate him -
Gary Papush, Clara Reiss,
Lou Sepersky, Joe Lamarca,
Betty Schwartz and Nicholas Fish.
(Carol Schachter says I'm dreaming -
these folk know from boards, not bards.)
To end off the celebration,
we shall have a tag-team match:
Crotty-Eristoff to challenge
Pagan-Messenger, three falls;
champs take Maloney-Millard,
Sanders-Goodman grudge match winner.

If you feel a tinge of embarrasment
for being left out or smeared, or harrasment,
call Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton and Garrasment.

Now to the future -
Governor Casey, grab the ring,
says Gene Genovese, a thing
that would make him vote Demo.
General Powell, save the wicket,
take a chance, get on the ticket.
Else Republicans will lose.

For tasks that need a whole garrison
we'll send our army - Arlene Harrison.
And for schooling that will give
kids a whole life to live -
Robert Durkin (Rob Walsh, worthy backup).
Art Ferrara, good retirement.
Herman Diamond, good recovery.

Thunderation and huzzah,
New Year's coming in, a 'roarin',
water, from upstate, a 'flowin'.
Governor, finally, doin' his best,
President, finally showin' his spine
Bosnia may get peaceful rest.

When the New Year's globe descends
(silly people, fighting credits
at the Times Square BID),
we should all be neighbors, friends,
breaking barriers, making mends.
Take a deep breath, raise your glass
to the future, pox on past
(Santayana notwithstanding);
think ahead, the best
is yet to come. Pax, Shalom.

These lines are dedicated to Prime Minister Yithzak Rabin, a martyr
for peace. We beseech the good Lord to grant that there be no more need for martyrs, in our time.