November 22,1963 Poem by Cynthia Long

My mother had just put me down for a nap
And was folding clean diapers on her lap
When Cronkite broke in on her show
And announced for everyone to know
That JFK had been shot in Dallas
He didn't want to be callous
Soon Cronkite would announce
The death of Kennedy he pronounced
My parents for many days were inconsolable
As this tragedy to the world was quite horrible
All this had happened and it was quite fast
News was coming and it was constant and vast
My father’s birthday that day was to be celebrated
But my parents agreed it would have to be belated
The world had just changed and in shock and everyone remained
No one could speak and it seemed everyone was ashamed
Of what happened to our President John F. Kennedy
Who everyone thought well of and loved so dearly