Soren Chapter 4 The 1950's

As promised this is another decade of my life I promised for my Great Grandson Soren.

The fifties, sometimes called the Golden Age.
For lefties like us, the Hell on Earth Age.
The joy of defeating fascism was swamped,
War in Korea, at home witch hunt for lefties.
Senator McCarthy, red scared the country hysterical.

Korea a “domino war.” It held,
One country fell to communists the next one would.
Until the whole world a colony of Russia,
People would lose their jobs for thinking.
Hollywood actors. Name names of reds or blacklisted.
Fear sends some friends out of the US.

GG (Great Grandpa) Working for Miners Union
In the dead of winter sent off to Butte Montana.
Mission, Save the Union. This was IWW country.
Frank Little IWW Organizer hung from a railroad trestle
One of my Papa’s great heroes.

Learned about mining and freezing 20-30 below zero.
“Don’t feel the cold when it’s dry.’
Soren, don;t ever believe that bullshit.”
It’s cold enough to freeze your lungs.
We won the union back. I learned about mining.
We humans are using up our planet.
Butte, now the just a contaminated lake.

Rock and roll music helped us through it all.
Our family blessed with our boy, your Uncle Fred.
Under the dark clouds of fascism a ray of light.
A giggling baby tickled by his sister Liz.

Salk Anti Polio vaccine, an end to crippled kids.
Watson Crick discover DNA. They forget Rosalind Franklyn
Without her they would be nobodies.
She never got a mention. That will change.
General Eisenhower elected President.
Ends the Korean War. North South still divided.
Why? I don’t know.

Hillary and Tenzing make it to the top of Everest,
Hillary a true Englishmen, “I made it first.”
Tenzing just a Nepalese Sherpa.

A giggling baby tickled by Liz.

Television breaking into every home.
I’m up on the roof turning the aerial.
“How is it now” I yell, “It’s still snowy” Edith replies.
French are pulling out of Dein Biem Phu, Viet NaM
Domino idea about to suck us in again.

“When will they ever learn?” Song we’ll soon be singing.
The Russian rocket Sputnick into space.
We have to catch up with NASA. Maybe a war in Space?
My Papa died, I had to help his way out. So sad.
He said “Never knew what mother was going to do?”
She dies from a back-street abortion.

The best of the fifties. The arrival of Uncle Fred.
Tickled and giggling.

Like you, he gave us so much fun and reassurance.
That someway somehow life near the Bronx Zoo.
Goes on and on and on as we kept singing.

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