Christopher Columbus arrives in America (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In fourteen hundred ninety-two

Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

He had three ships and left from Spain;

He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.

He sailed by night; he sailed by day;

He used the stars to find his way.

A compass also helped him know

How to find the way to go.

Ninety sailors were on board;

Some men worked while others snored.

Then the workers went to sleep;

And others watched the ocean deep.

Day after day they looked for land;

They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand.

October 12 their dream came true,

You never saw a happier crew!

“Indians!  Indians!” Columbus cried;

His heart was filled with joyful pride.

But “India” the land was not;

It was the Bahamas, and it was hot.

The Arakawa natives were very nice;

They gave the sailors food and spice.

Columbus sailed on to find some gold

To bring back home, as he’d been told.

He made the trip again and again,

Trading gold to bring to Spain.

The first American?  No, not quite.

But Columbus was brave, and he was bright.

-Maurice Abravanel (I think!  Finding info about WHO wrote this poem [or was it a song?] is problematic, even with the vast resources of the internet at our disposal!).

How many of you remember this poem from your childhood?  Or parts of it?  Even though historians regard October 12th as the official Columbus Day, today is the federally recognized holiday in the United States.  Over the past couple of decades, the holiday has become quite controversial.  But, whether you are working today or have the day off, whether you consider Christopher Columbus a folk hero or a pariah, our wish for you is that you will make this day a

Happy Day!

Tootles,