Moss Hart of Camelot and My Fair Lady fame.
Moss, families have one or two eccentrics
and yours had Kate.
She took you to the land of thespian magic
several times a week,
silly giggler at the worst times
when it wasn’t even a comedy.
You didn't care, young Moss.
When she set fires,
they locked her up.
You tried to find her a fire escape,
remembered how she
spirited you to the shows
ignited your heart and mind
to make people laugh and sing.
Let's toast the Kates of our families,
the odd among our kin,
take a moment to applaud them,
mine the gold instead of the dross,
turn them loose on the youth,
see what magic appears.
A retired teacher, Vern Fein has published nearly one hundred poems and short non-fiction pieces on over forty sites, a few being: *82 Review, The Literary Nest, Gyroscope Review, Courtship of Winds, Broadkilll Review, 500 Miles, and The Write Launch, and has non-fiction pieces in Quail Bell and Adelaide among others.