Of strangers he makes friends
Of his knowledge there is no end
Both the highest and the low
He’s not too proud to know
He’ll get a doctorate, or three
With neither stress nor anxiety
Others are first on his mind
To whom he’s both giving as well as kind
Of Nobel he may become acquainted
Of companions he’s already been blessed
Of helicopters I see more in his future
Of Apple products, they’re at his own behest
But there are a few things I wish to say
On this long awaited day
As he leaves our golden shores
To find fame forevermore
You don’t need to put your clothes in the freezer
The bugs will get in anyway
It’s OK to eat the last cookie or tortellini
Or they’ll go bad and turn crusty and gray
And we all know Lena makes a nice cover story
For why he extended his stay
Perhaps one day we’ll learn the names of the real reason, or three
For this months long, frivolous, delay
But to enjoy his company in late evening talks
I shall miss starting today
So I bid thee all friendship, fortune, and honor
In your journey and future forays
You’ve found a place at the top of the Mark
As they roll out the carpet in welcome
And I’ll be manning my post of a different sort
As a friend right here at the bottom
Stephen E. Gibson