If you are as old as I am you probably remember exactly where you were fifty years ago when you heard the news that President John Kennedy was shot. I'll never forget it. I was working at my first real job as a technical editor for a company called Space Technology Laboratories that became TRW and many years later bought out by Northrop Grumman. I started work there in July 1963 when I was twenty-three years old. At that time, I was still married to my first husband, and we both took the news of President Kennedy's death very hard. We were glued to the television all weekend. We couldn't get enough of the story. Some years later I wrote the following poem, when asked to write in the style of a favorite poet. I chose Frank O'Hara and his poem, The Day Lady Died, about the death of the jazz singer, Billie Holiday. I've posted this poem here before. But, on this fiftieth anniversary of President Kennedy's death I think it's appropriate to post it again. He's been forever in my … [Read more...]