[AMONG THE MEMORIES OF ALL OUR JOYS AT CORNELL, IF ONLY FOR A MOMENT, WE MUST REMEMBER THE WORLD WHICH PROVIDED A CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH WE THRIVED AND TO WHICH WE ENTERED AND FROM WHICH WE MUST LEAVE SOMEDAY, AS A SAD PART OF AN UNINTENDED LEGACY TO OUR CHILDREN AND OUR GRAND CHILDREN.

[SO WE MUST CITE JUST ONE SAD MEMORY TO HELP THEM DO BETTER THAN WE. AFTER ALL, THAT IS A PART OF THE REASON – THE CONTEXTUAL REASON THAT REMINDS US THAT WE WERE PART OF A REAL WORLD THAT IS EXERTING MORE AND MORE INFLUENCE ON PREVIOUSLY INDEPENDENT ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS THAT COULD, AT ONE TIME, STAND APART FROM AND OBSERVE,WHEN NECESSARY CRITICIZE AS WELL AS PARTICIPATE AS A FORCE WITHIN.

[WE ARE NOT TRADE AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS FOR THE STATE, REGARDLESS OF HOW GLORIOUS THAT STATE MAY BE. THAT IS PART OF A JOYOUS REUNION, ALSO.]

SHE GOT AN A+ IN DYING
By Nathan Kolodney


Jackie Kennedy Onassis knew her time had come.
She went home.
Said good-bye to family and friends.
She died with dignity.

When part of her husband's head lay in her lap,
We thought Jackie tried to crawl her way to safety Over the back of the car.

Stop action showed that she was
trying to retrieve a fragment of his skull.
She had not let us down.

At the funeral she stood with silent strength.
John John, in cap and coat
Stood at attention.
He saluted and a nation felt proud
For Jackie through our tears.

When I face death will I cry out loud?
Will I hold on to life with my fingernails?
Will I be afraid?
Will my son and daughter stand at attention and Salute me on my way?

We are graded from birth to death;
Even at the most private and sacred moments of our lives.
Some succeed and some fail.
Jackie … may her soul finally rest in peace.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis got an A+ in dying.

              Nathan Kolodney, ‘61