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The Day Donald Died

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Gyppo
Posts: 1338
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 3:28 pm
Location: UK

The Day Donald Died

Post by Gyppo » Tue Jan 17, 2023 2:17 pm

Tracy's piece about Kennedy, triggered a recollection of my own.

=====

The Day Donald Died
(Coniston Water, January 4th, 1967)

When Bluebird flipped on Lake Coniston,
and stopped his life,
his relentless pursuit of world records,
it seemed impossible.

I remember seeing a picture,
his wife stood on the jetty,
watching the search boats, 
slowly accepting that this time
there would be no recovery.

This was a man who, as a child,
drilled holes into his bicycle frame,
convinced it would make it faster.

He broke his father's world records,
and set his own, many times.

The next day at school I was subdued,
another schoolboy hero defeated.
"What's up?" I was asked, 
and answered, "Campbell's dead."

"So what?  It always happens,
to people who don't know when to stop."


Gyppo
I've been writing ever since I realised I could.  Storytelling since I started talking.  Poetry however comes and goes  ;-)

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Tracy Mitchell
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Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2018 3:58 pm

Re: The Day Donald Died

Post by Tracy Mitchell » Tue Jan 17, 2023 4:37 pm

Ooh.  Crass ending -- I can imagine how those words would be received by one who venerated Mr. Campbell.  Childhood heroes, especially for guys, were not lightly chosen or discarded.  

Not having a scooby who Donald Campbell was, I scrambled to google and had a fine trip through the stacks.  I can see how he would be a man to follow through years of exploits.  Taking speed records from 160 to 360?  incredible life.  Clearly an adrenalin junkie.  :D   

Nice writing memorializes the day.  

Cheers.

T

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