Breakfast With Rod Serling

In the summer of 1968, while living in Santa Monica, CA;
I went to a very fine restaurant, for breakfast many days!
It was the well-known Zucky’s, at Fifth and Wilshire Boulevard;
The first day that I went there, I was caught completely off my guard!
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For sitting right across from me, was a famous TV man;
The creator of “The Twilight Zone”, and me, his greatest fan!
Yes, it really was Rod Serling, I could not believe my eyes;
This man I’d admired for many years, imagine my surprise!
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There was only one slight drawback, he smoked incessantly;
He never was without a cigarette, a horrible habit to me!
Such a brilliant man and writer, was addicted to tobacco’s woes;
His heart gave out at fifty, a victim of this path he chose!
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                        The great Twilight Zone
                    Went up in smoke too early
                          Thanks to tobacco