Johnny Briggs - d. February 28th 2021

Here’s to the chancer’s chancer,

to the barrow born but on the up,

at the bar, grinning, pocket full 

of knickers, waving a tenner

- I’ll get these - large Scotch,

and one for yourself, darlin’.

Read about Johnny Briggs here

Lawrence Ferlinghetti - d. February 22nd 2021

The word on your streets

is of the streets. Your night

is made of words. Your beat

is made of night. Your art

is made of beats. The lights

of your city dim, then bright.

Read about Lawrence Ferlinghetti here

U-Roy - d. February 17th 2021

You woke my town,

to tell your version 

of the version,

tell the dread people

that even in death

you were 

the rightful ruler,

the toast of heaven.

Read about U-Roy here

Sydney Divine - d. February 13th 2021

I pulled on my tasselled jaiket,

half-Lanarkshire, half-Hawaiian,

saw it was a rhinestone short.

But what's this in the pocket?

a bag of tiny bubbles, and a chord

playing this is no time for crying.

Read about Sydney Devine here

Mary Wilson - d. February 8th 2021

I dream of you, girl, free now, 

walking barefoot on gravel, 

automatically bringing the

sunshine, and ooh, the thrill, 

the joy this boy got from you.

Read about Mary Wilson here

Christopher Plummer - d. February 5th 2021

I was afraid the world

was disappearing fast,

yet here you are again

to greet me, bless 

my land, bring music 

back into this house.

Read about Christopher Plummer

‘Captain Tom’ Moore - d. February 2nd 2021

I met an old soldier going down, 

talisman for a wounded country,

walking from memory, medals

pricking his flesh like shrapnel,

his worth the sum of all his duty,

striding a final battlefield at dawn.

Read about Captain Tom here

Hal Holbrook - d. January 23rd 2021

I met you in the dark

of an underground lot,

a product of the night,

acting more with shadow

than most could with light.

Read about Hal Holbrook here