| Hitchy (a Tribute to Raymond Hitchcock by Judy Nathanson) The way the world remembers you, through what you’ve left behind May seem to be a fitting gift of fame But for your fans it seems unfair to leave the credits blind When everyone on earth should know your name You have made the world enjoy a gift that never dies The gift of mirth, unfettered, tried and true An earthy spirit and a heart that wore no false disguise Sharing it with everyone you knew Mischievous and bawdy, yet too charming to offend Musical, Artistic through and through You gave many artists who are better known, dear friend The fame that they enjoy because of you You had said man is not poor if he can laugh out loud By that definition you became The one who filled the audience with riches you endowed And in so doing, you have earned your fame No one loved life more, mixing the silly and sublime Standing strongly by what you believed You were, in so many ways, ahead of your own time And those who called you friend where not deceived They, like every audience who sat in front of you Knew they would get all they bargained for Laughing at the comic timing, King Do-Do and Hitchy-Koo You gave them their money’s worth, and more From cheering up your family, to Vaudeville Minstrel Shows To headlining each stage where you appeared You gave everything you had, and Heaven only knows How long and loud the audiences cheered And so, dear one, who left this world a legacy of laughter You shall, in posterity, shine too Not just on celestial stages in the great hereafter But here on earth, it’s grand to remember you!. |
| Laughter What language in this world is universally understood? What makes the saddest people with the heaviest hearts feel good? What sounds like music coming form those of us who cannot sing? When we fear or worry, what dismisses everything? What do we do that makes us wonder what humans fight about? What can the poor afford that the rich can’t afford to live without? What moments in your life are the hardest to forget? Are they not linked with those that overflowed with merriment? When do our faces look the best; when laughter makes them shine! What is equally share with all, equally yours and mine? When are you happiest, my friend? When your heart is filled with mirth The people who give us laughter are the greatest people on earth! |
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