Alice2
Alice
When people speak of "first loves,"
Alice Loughman comes to mind.
For four years all throughout high school,
Brighter than the sun, she shined!
I loved Alice more than life itself --
Put her picture on my door …
Kissed it every night so often
Pieces fell off on the floor!
We walked home together every day,
My arms would get so tired!
Carried both our books a mile or more,
Though nothing much transpired.
We'd play piano back and forth
While seated on the bench.
While she was playing, I would slide
Her way another inch.
I'd do anything to spend more time
With Alice (nurse's aide).
I signed up to be an orderly --
Same floor -- before the trade.
They moved her to a different floor!
By then we'd broken up.
Her dad worked at two rescue squads.
I thought if I signed up …
It'd somehow make it easier
To see her -- but it didn't.
I did enjoy
his company.
So that's the way it went.
I then went off to Andrews U.
She went to Kettering.
We saw each other on and off,
And then one day in spring,
I got a call from Brother Ron.
He tried to let me down,
(Like Charlie, only different!) -- He said,
"Are you sitting down?"
He told me of an accident.
Just happened night before.
"Some drunk ran through a stop sign,
Smashing through the driver's door.
"The driver was killed instantly.
I thought you ought to know --
The funeral is in three days.
You'll prob'ly want to go."
I don't remember when he fin'ly
Told me who it was --
But when he did, a switch was thrown.
The world turned to a buzz.
Two years before, she'd asked me for
Advice about some trip.
It was Europe for six weeks or so.
Most told her she should skip.
"Do nursing first. Then when you're through --
Your education done --
There'll be time enough to take that trip.
That's when you'll have more fun."
I told her, "No. You take that trip.
You'll find that school's still here.
A bit delayed, but what the heck,
By what? It's just a year!"
That conversation killed the buzz
That swirled in my head …
She would have studied all for naught --
Because now she was dead …
I vowed right then to take some time
Each day to have some fun.
Each day will still have toils enough
Before the day is done.
There was no viewing,
Understandably, the lid was shut.
But oh, the flowers -- what a spread!
A feeling in my gut
Tensed up. There was no way that I
Could pay the soaring freight
To buy the flowers she deserved,
That gave my feelings weight …
Show how I felt, how much I loved
This girl inside that box.
I bought a single long-stemmed rose
With vase, and thought,
It mocks
My sentiment. That's s'posed to show
How much you mean to me …
Lost in that throng of flowers …
It just wasn't meant to be.
I gave the vase to Albert -- Al,
Her father shook my hand.
His smile was weak, but genuine.
I hoped he'd understand.
The next day at the funeral,
Imagine my surprise --
The flowers all had been set back
Behind the coffin rise.
Except for one -- a long-stemmed rose --
In front, on its own stand …
A spotlight focused on that bloom --
Like somehow it was planned …