Ode to Mike Kunath

The following poem is a tribute to Mike Kunath penned by Teri Citterman and read to him at his birthday celebration last week.  See photos of Teri, Mike, Kate Harrison, Mike Flynn, Gina Kunath and Michael Steiner above.

 

Ode To Mike – April 9, 2010

 

It seems like forever ago --

When I met with Dick Friel --

He suggested I meet a friend of his

I left with the Dick Friel-Seal.

 

There’s someone you should meet he said

Today at 4 pm

Kunath is his last name –

His first starts with M

 

On this auspicious day in 2000

The night of Halloween

I arrived at THE-THEN Four Seasons –

To nothing short of a scene

 

Look for a man in an Italian suit

Smoking a corn-cob pipe

As I walked toward the northwest corner of the room,

There, I spotted Mike

 

He seemed to be leading a circus

As a group around him spoke

About boarding schools and armor suits --

I was out of my league with these folk.

 

He introduced himself to me

And suggested” I sit down and wait

I ordered a glass of water

I’d made my first mistake

 

“I knew a man who ordered water” he said

As he sat straight and then leaned in --

“That man who ordered water

We never saw that man again.”

 

He then went on to explain

That the Grande Dame was for sale

And that he was part of a business group

Who wanted the Four Season to prevail

 

Now, if I understand correctly, he said

It’s PR that you do.

What would you tell a reporter

Of the news I just told you

 

I opened my mouth to speak

As a Times reporter took a chair

I looked at kunath puzzled

He didn’t seem to care.

 

He introduced himself to the reporter

Who took out a pad to write

“Uh-uh”, said kunath shaking his head. 

That’s not how it works tonight.

 

Mike then proceeded to tell him

Everything he’d just told me

And by the way he had stressed to me --

I’m telling you confidentially

 

So I sat there  having a seizure

Not sure what  I should do

Mike seemed to know what he was doing

But I did not have a clue

 

Then mike looked at me with a grin

Much like the Cheshire cat

I can tell you’re uncomfortable with what I just said

How would you have handled that?

 

I was a deer in the headlights

And wasn’t quite sure what to say

This was the first of many tests

I’d either pass or miserably fail.

 

Then the reporter got up and left

And mike again turned to me

C’mon let’s go to dinner. 

Is this guy hitting on me?
 

The condition is I get to ask

30 minutes of questions he said

That seemed like a reasonable request –

But I couldn’t just leav it at that

 

I’ll go to dinner I said,

But I have conditions too.

You can ask me the questions you want –

But then I’ll ask questions of you.

 

We agreed to the terms of the dinner

And unbenounced to me

I had just negotiated my first of many contracts

The terms favored him - usually

 

Over the years  we’ve shared secrets

Sometimes we’ve shared our dreams

One time he tried to set me up

An absolute CAT-AST-RO-PHE

 

I’ve learned a lot from Mike

No doubt both don’ts and dos

And there might have been a moment

Where he learned a thing or two

 

On that auspicious evening

When kids were dressed up strange

I had no idea of the impact

And how my life would change

 

So please  - raise your glass

And I think I speak for all of us

We are proud to be part of your crazy club

And its nightly 3 ring circus

 

Cheers & Happy Birthday!