The Broken Drum Still Beats: Honoring My Great-Grandpa, Forrest Markle

When I started Artful Imagination Endeavors, I wasn’t exactly sure what it would become. What I did know was that I wanted it to be a place to share stories, music, art, and inspiration from the many wonderful people in this world. As I search for a way to begin, I realize the best place to start is with my own roots. With the story of my great-grandpa, Forrest Markle.

Forrest wasn’t just a name in our family history. He was the mayor of Hayden, Colorado, in the late 1960s and ’70s, a man who poured his heart into his community. Alongside his wife, Margery, he ran The Broken Drum Café, a local gathering place known for good meals, conversation, and the kind of small-town connection that seems rarer with each passing year.

His legacy doesn’t stop at public service and community building. Forrest also wrote a song called The Moon is Not for Lovers, recorded by Buck Jones after the Apollo moon landing. Its lyrics captured a powerful feeling at the time. That the moon had shifted from being a symbol of mystery and romance to something cold, scientific, and distant. Yet the song reminds us that even as rockets reach new heights, we should never lose the wonder that made us look up at the night sky in the first place.

Artful Imagination Endeavors is my way of carrying that spirit forward. The name The Broken Drum for my dream project isn’t just a nod to the café Forrest and Margery once ran. It’s a tribute to a man whose story, service, and creativity continue to inspire me.

Here’s to keeping the wonder alive.