Poet Laureate, An Astronaut Said So!

My father was lauded by a great many people for his beautiful writing skills, particularly his poetry.  The personalized poems he wrote for birthdays, weddings, and retirement parties, not to mention many more special celebrations, eventually earned him the greatest title of his lifetime.

As a 26-year employee at Kennedy Airport's Eastern Airlines, Dick Brennan was known by so many people around the airport.  His friendly smile and heavy Irish brogue were just the first things people noticed about him.  His mannerisms with his cigarettes, his hands folded behind his back, and his particular look were all part of the second.  But it was the man behind the mannerisms and the accent that really affected people who met him and knew him. 

A gate agent at Eastern Airlines, Dick Brennan had many brief interactions with thousands and thousands of people from all around the world.  Celebrities, superstars, and famous musicians alike came through his airline gates.  Maureen O'Hara, The Beatles, and the list goes on. 

As people from all over boarded their flights through his gates, my father had to deal with every complaint imaginable, people yelling and screaming at him as if he was the one who made the rain pour and winds blow.  But it wasn't people like this who kept him there so long, or loving his job so much.  It was his friends and colleagues at Eastern Airlines and Kennedy Airport who made each day so very enjoyable.

And poem after poem, newsletter after newsletter, Dick Brennan quickly became the go-to man for personalized poetry.  He no doubt had to turn many people down, as the requests must have come from all over.  But as his reputation as a great writer grew, so too did his esteem from his friends and colleagues.  He eventually earned the amazing title, "Poet Laureate of Kennedy Airport".  In 1975, he wrote a "We The People" poem and an Employees' Constitution for the Eastern Airlines team at Kennedy Airport.  It was so well received in fact, it was framed and hung in the executive offices.  More impressively, it got the attention of one very special man.

Frank Borman was an astronaut at NASA, and as the Commander of Apollo 8, he manned the very first mission to fly around the moon.  When he eventually retired, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor recipient took over as CEO at Eastern Airlines, a position he held for the next 11 years.  But in his very first year, he heard about my dad.  And in a letter to him dated October 17, 1975, Frank Borman wrote:

Dear Dick:

Jack Piverotto showed me copies of the "We The People" poem and the employees' "Constitution" which you authored for your local Employee Sales Program.

With your unique talent, it's no wonder the people of Kennedy consider you their poet laureate!

Thank you for your interest and efforts in this most important program.

Sincerely,
Frank Borman

A career and a life filled with poetry.  An honor from one of the greatest Americans in history.  A title given him by his peers that he proudly held his whole life long.

Today, November 6, 2013, is my father's birthday.  He was born in 1926, so if he were alive today, he'd be 87 years old.  No matter.  The life he lived, with its ups and downs--just like the airplanes he watched each day--was a good one.  And his greatest honor is one I celebrate with his soul today. 

Happy Birthday, Dad!  May your proud legacy continue forever!

I love you and miss you, and look forward to the day when I board my flight to see you again!

Sean

Halloween

Dick Brennan was most well known for all the personalized poetry he wrote for weddings, birthdays, and other special events.  But do you remember some of his many "theme" poems as well?  This one would have been written for one of his many newsletter contributions to either Eastern Airlines at Kennedy Airport or the Commuters Club in East Rockaway, New York.  Date unknown, so as always, please let me know if you have more info on this or any poem! --Sean

Halloween

We’ve come once more to the month of October,

The weirdest of months—to keep anyone sober.

What with ghosts and goblins and foggy nights,

We hear strange tales of awful sights.

Headless bodies, clanking chains,

Thunder and lightning ‘midst blinding rains.

Out late at night, avoiding the park,

Searching each shadow where it seems most dark.

But the scariest of all, when out in the street

Is encountering youngsters shouting “Trick or Treat”.
***
Written by Dick Brennan

Introduction to the new site

For a long time now, I've been collecting and piecing together my father's poetry and writings.  My dad, Richard Andrew Brennan--known better as Dick Brennan--was born in Ireland in 1926, and since he passed away in 1999, his writings have gone mostly silent...until now!

Beginning this month, I will start sharing his poetry and reflections here on this new Website.  I hope you'll bear with me, as typing them up and loading them here will take some time, but thankfully, I've got a head start already.  In the past few months, I've been slowly working through the pile and typing them into the computer.  Since there are A LOT of poems and other writings of his to go through, this project will undoubtedly continue for quite some time.  I welcome any and all encouragement and suggestions, as well as requests for certain poems, but if you have a poem or note from him you'd like to see included here in a future entry, please write me privately at angelenroute@aol.com.  From time to time, I'll also feature some stories about my dad...some which you know already, and some which you probably don't.

I'm really looking forward to sharing some old favorites with his family and friends, and introducing many "new" works you may not even realize he wrote!  Please share this blog with others who you think might be interested.

This part of the World Wide Web is all for him!

Circa 1940s, Dublin, Ireland. Dick Brennan helped build the modern
Irish railway system. He's pictured top left in this photo.