Editors Note: The hilarious Men’s Water Ballet from the Kendal 2017 New Year’s Eve Gala was videotaped and was shown again on New Year’s Eve 2020. Thus, Roberta Poupon’s celebratory poem which follows:
BRAVO to Jean and Jane and 6 Brave Men
On New Year’s Eve 2020,
In the 10th month of a pandemic,
Discouraged from socializing,
(This time strongly)
I sat alone in my apartment,
A bottle of bubbly at hand
(Provided with my dinner bag.)
At 8:00 on Channel 970-- THE MENS WATER BALLET, New Year’s Eve 2017, showing it from
yet an earlier time.
And I, alone, strongly discouraged, bubbly at
hand,
Watched those men delightfully-not-exactly
synchronized.
Watched Jean and Jane’s blue-sheet-as-pool
rippling.
Sipped my bubbly,
And I did what I needed to do
But never imagined I would do on New Year’s
Eve 2020:
I laughed.
I laughed out loud.
I raised my glass of bubbly to Jean and Jane
and those 6 men:
BRAVO to Jean and Jane who had the brilliant
idea;
BRAVO to 6 brave men willing to be delightfully foolish
For the sake of the Community.
And today I make a proposal:
Let us show THE MEN’S WATER BALLET
every year!
A gift that keeps on giving.
A demonstration of all that is good and
special about Kendal.
Let us play it again and again and....again,
please.
Roberta Poupon