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27 Club Rockers

Twenty-seven years of struggle and success
Was all many of our best rockers could take,
We give them a tip of the hat, for their sake
They entertained us even when in distress.

Doping, or mental illness, or a natural cause
Their lives ended much too soon, we regret,
Through their music, we remember them yet
In life, they got our love through our applause.

We keep their memories alive in our hearts
I salute the “too many to mention” by name
While they lived, they had their hours of fame
And many of them are still climbing the charts.

SEVENTH PLACE WINNER
Written September 11, 2022
Submitted to: "The 27 Club" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Anthony Biaanco

Copyright © L Milton Hankins | Year Posted 2022

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Terry Miller Date: 9/28/2022 8:33:00 AM Back with congratulations, Milton, well deserved Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 9/28/2022 9:25:00 AM Thanks so much, Terry. I appreciate your comment.

Linda Alice Fowler Date: 9/27/2022 3:03:00 PM Big congrats on your win Milt! Linda Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 9/28/2022 9:25:00 AM Thanks, Linda. I'd say it did all right, after all. Your congratulations made it worthwhile! (smiling)

Caren Krutsinger Date: 9/13/2022 6:35:00 AM I listen to the 1960's Folk Music from Pandora, so I hear this all the time "Through their music, we remember them yet" Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 9/13/2022 8:34:00 AM We do indeed. I like the 60s 70s music best of all.

Gary Radice Date: 9/12/2022 7:39:00 AM Loved this Milt. Ann and I visited Jim Morrison's grave at Pére Lachaise in Paris in '89. I couldn't believe the number of people, flowers and amount of graffiti that surrounded it. It was certainly the most popular with the visitors despite the cemetery housing the graves of Oscar Wilde Edith Piaf and Molière. I guess many of the rock stars who died too soon were poets in their own right. I really enjoy poems that make me reflect, Milt, and yours has certainly done that. Cheers - Gary Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 9/12/2022 7:56:00 AM Thanks so much, Gary. I'm a great fan of both Wilde and Piaf. I recall Piaf as "the little sparrow." Wilde was, of course, one of the great wits of the ages. I do think music and poetry are cousins.

Michael Tor Date: 9/12/2022 3:24:00 AM Many have died sadly Milton. Most drug overdoses in the sixties and 70's 80's, 90's Jim Morrison, Kurt Kobain, Amy Winehouse, some other noted musician deaths of course not by their doing. John lennon, Harry Chapin, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Brian Jones guitarist for Rolling Stones, Karen Carpenter, John Boham drummer for Led Zeppplin, Bob Marley, Keith Moon, Stevie Ray Von, and so many others have sadly perish makes you not want to be a musicians. Pretty sad Milton... Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 9/12/2022 8:00:00 AM Being a classical keyboardist (piano and organ) I appreciate the talent of these musicians, although I did not always care for their music myself. Talent is not, importantly, judged by the eye of the hearer or beholder, but in the quality of the presentation, in my opinion. All of the "stars" were highly successful and talented even if I did not appreciate them all. I'm still a great fan of Bob Marley, John Lennon, and the Stones.

Terry Miller Date: 9/12/2022 3:00:00 AM I think this will ride high in the contest Milton. Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 9/12/2022 8:00:00 AM Thank you so much, Terry. I certainly hope so.

I Am Anaya Date: 9/11/2022 2:42:00 PM Very interesting Milton. I did not know you had a hankering for rockers! There are not that many actually, I can name them all. (27 club a handful) I would consider depression mental illness. I think Amy Winehouse was the last to die of alcoholism at 27, her famous song, "Rehab, No, No" so sad. If any now, I wouldn't know them. Many others all different ages. Good entry. GL in the contest! Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 9/11/2022 2:52:00 PM I tend to believe that anyone who commits suicide has a certain amount of mental illness, but maybe not. I don't know.

Tom Cunningham Date: 9/11/2022 12:50:00 PM And there are many Milton, is it because of fame and fortune that they turn to drink, who knows, but their music lives on. Tom Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 9/11/2022 1:12:00 PM This is one of those contests it took a long time for me to come up with something to say. I was shocked by how many musicians, famous and non-, have not made it past their 27th birthday. A shame! A lot of talent wasted.