My poem-of-the-month email goes to 200-plus friends and poetic limerick lovers. The January poem titled “New” was not reprinted in the recent class newsletter due to political correctness issues. I did receive a nice email comment from Alan Peyser who said, “Thanks greatly. Well said. Have lots of friends who are going to be involved. I don’t think we are in the majority of our class on this.” My response to Alan is, “That may be true, but there are some who may enjoy seeing the first stanza of the poem as shown below. Anyone wishing to see the remainder please contact me and I will add them to my poem of the month listings and send the January opus retroactively.”

On a sadder note, I hear sounds of the Barbary Coast jazz band marching up Main Street. Three newly fallen classmates, Kenneth Harrison Rice Jr., D. Kennedy Fesenmyer and William R. Grigsby, march just behind the band as we bow our heads in silent tribute. I received a nice note from the son of Bill Grigsby, Kendall Grigsby Carbone ’88—same class as that of my son, Deron. Kendall requested that I mention that the family will be doing a celebration of life for Bill on Friday, May 12, in case there are old friends in the Denver area who would like to attend.

Until recently Kirby Fowler had a condo in my community, Eastman. After Kirby’s wife, Pat, became ill, the condo was sold and Kirby returned full time to New Jersey. Packing up, Kirby donated a bunch of books to the local library, including a copy of the class of 1956 reunion volume given to me by the librarian. I now have two, so if anyone would like one just let me know.

“New”—first of five stanzas:

A new poem the appropriate thing,

A new year and new path in full swing;

Discarding old ways

Introducing new days,

The making of great years these bring.

—Joel D. Ash, P.O. Box 1733, Grantham, NH 03753; (603) 863-3360; jash_125@comcast.net