A Birthday Poem

My birthday today was filled with surprises! Thanks to my family and friends who made this particular birthday quite memorable.

A special thanks to film critic and author Richard Jack Smith for the poem below.  

The Best of Us: A Birthday Poem

Looking for an Ice Road Trucker?
Sign up Betty Jo Tucker.
She's the critic who tells it straight
Where other opinions emerge too late.

A love of musicals she has.
Of Shirley Temple, Busby Berkeley and jazz.
From her I have learned a lot
About the movies and things to spot.

She has a mastery of the poetic phrase
Her observations simply amaze.
An original voice
Because that's her choice.

That poem means a lot to me because Richard and I both include film poems in some of our movie reviews. In fact, Richard’s latest book is titled A Poet Among Critics,  and here’s what I wrote about that terrific book:

Richard Jack Smith writes poems with ease

about movies designed to please.

Plus even some he thinks fall flat

and keep him from tipping his hat.

A fine poet among critics,

rhymes and images he does mix.

His reviews earn two thumbs up

and a poetry Loving Cup!

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