Folowing van's appeal for contributions of any sort to promote this
very worthy site, I penned the following in the hope that it might
encourage others to put fingers to keyboards and generate debate of
any kind. Thanks for looking.

ODE TO HOWARD HUGHES

Born 1905 in the Lone Star State
he was destined to become an American great
as a boy he dreamed of many things
the most prized of all his pilot's wings
at age 18 he acquired Hughes Tool
quickly proving he was nobody's fool
the credits rolled after Hollywood beckoned
"the kid won't last long" the "experts" reckoned
with limitless wealth handsome and tall
it was a golden age when he had it all
in his H-1 Racer he sped through the sky
the crowds below gasped as he climbed so high
in a Lockheed `plane he circled the world
on his triumphant return the nations' flags unfurled
the Hercules was built to help win a war
that was all over before it would soar
he changed Las Vegas from a one-horse town
to the gambling capital of world-renown
in later years he shunned public gaze
behind the curtains nights merged with the days
as he lay wasting neglected and alone
his only solace movies and a 'phone
his biggest regret to his dying day
was the loss of his beloved TWA
when he passed away very few came
but many more tried to cash in on his fame
a quarter of a century since he last made the news
people still wonder "who was Howard Hughes?"

© F J Gray