FIRST KISS

FIRST KISS

The room was ice cold
the sharp smell
of disinfectant
took my breath away
With no clothes on
my skin bumped up
amd made me shiver
Just then a woman
with a husky voice sang,

"Somewhere over the rainbow ...
skies are blue ....

The room was so tense
that Thursday evening
in May around seven
I could feel I was
a part of something big
I shut my eye and listened
to the woman who sang

"Wishes do come true...."

Then a sad solo bell tolled
from the nearby cathedral
and a dark haired man
who never took his eyes off of me
walked across the room
and turned the radio knob so fast
a hundred voices squealed
through the airwaves

Then a man with an English voice
said,

"This is a special bulletin
from the BBC News

The Germans have invaded Belgium

...Luxembourg ...

and France

Churchill has been named
Prime Minister of England!"

My heart began to beat like a hammer

While I lay there alone
my eyes peered into the light
as far as I could see
Ship sirens began
to bellow and wail
and I trembeled in fright

When a man with an Irish voice said
"German U-boats were detected
outside the three-mile
limit of Rosslare Harbor!"
more shivers made me shake
like leaves on a tree

I clenched my hands
into tight little fists
and peddled my legs
through the air
my chin quivered
and my lips trembled
I let out a piercing scream
at the same time the soothing voice
on the radio sang,

"Someday I'll wish upon a star .......

Then I was dressed in a tight pink gown
the man who wore all white
pulled me close
and held me tight
in his huge strong hands
he looked deep into my eyes and said
they were the most beautiful he'd ever seen
he hummed with the woman on the radio
and slowly waltzed me towards the bed

"She's all yours now," he said
and he handed me over
into outstretched arms

"Oh, what a day to be born!"
my mother cried
she placed a long kiss
on the top of my head
she kissed my ears
my fingers, my toes
while she showered
me with warm wet kisses

Then, I latched my hand
around my mother's finger
gave a big yawn
one deep sigh
and made my fast escape
into a deep, safe slumber
while the woman sang

"There's a land that I heard of ...
once in a lullaby.

Story ID:	768
Written by:	Veronica Breen Hogle (bio, contact, other stories)
Organization:	Irish Cultural Events
Story type:	Poem
Location:	Waterford Ireland
Year:	1940
Person:	Self