A Valentine for Mom and (step)Dad . . . nostalgia in a bag of clothes

 

In the Mood

 

In the new house

Down in the basement

In front of the fallout shelter

hung a line of plastic bags

clear soldiers guarding in a row

These bags once hidden away

Intrigued my adolescent mind

Mysteries of days gone by

Pirating for treasure, unzipping for the dig

 

First, standing at attention

Was Daddy’s sailor suit

A uniform handsome in solid navy blue

To my surprise it fit like a caress

I was my father’s trim young form

Taken far from home

Across the continent

And  unpacified Pacific

The fight Japan, in water and in flight

A gunner’s mate on battle ship

Off to win the war, on sea and in the air

 

Admiring me in woolen blue

The mirror reflected red

I turned, unzipped the bag

A full skirt dress danced out

Clenching the frock unto my front

My mother appeared inside

 

I pulled it close and held her dear

Mother no longer Ma

Not the widow with five children

 struggling to survive

 

She was that young farm girl

A Saturday night revived

Blossoming with a taste of freedom

A red rose in a dress

 

My arm raised holding one red sleeve

In a salute to love

the other I  flipped on shoulder

My left hand on her back

 

From my standing trombone case

Glenn Miller came out to play

Together we began to dance

Bright rose upon midnight blue

 

A Moonlight Serenade

 

Daddy and Mama were no more

We two-stepped back in time

Fanciful young creatures

Danced the world alive

War sunk into the ocean deep

 widow black dispersed in to night

Maud’s hair so long and beautiful

Swirling, whirling with the dance

Joe’s eyes lit with stars of joy

The radiant grace of ethereal light . . .

Young again forever more . . .

 

 

©james m. frase-white 2/14/2021

 

The Dream that was Genie

 

A Love Song for Genie Good (1946-2012)

 

Genie, the first time I fell in love with you

Naw, it wasn’t the Saturday night date

 to see “Blue Hawaii”

For the first time, your love of the flick

made Elvis tolerable, not venerable, but getting closer

 

It wasn’t when we first made out

For if we did I don’t remember

 

No, ‘twas surreptitious

bypassing Denton Drive-In  

 across state lines, Atlantic bound

50 miles to Rehoboth Beach,

 

'twas serendipitous . . .

   Walking along the breathing shore

We found a rowboat half-drown in sand

to sit, to talk with our souls, our desires

hearts and hopes and dreams sailing

as the ocean caressed the sands

stars appeared in the East

All was well and promising upon earth

Yes, Genie you taught me love then

 

Not on the shore of matrimony

The social step to take

To lose our lives in babyhood

Perpetuating the race

 

In college you wrote you had a lover

My heart was not between my thighs

Not in your beautiful body and deep red hair

No, washed out to sea in that sandbound boat

filled full of hopes and dreams, and art and blood

Up in the starry sky carried out to See, See, See

Bless you Regina Good, 

for that you shall always be

Good, so Good, a Genie indeed for me    

                                       early winter 2020 ©j.m.frase-white

Photo taken at North Caroline High School, Ridgely, MD in June 1965

Nigel Paints a Portrait

Drawing Show & Tell Tuesdays

 

The painting was by Nigel
 His brush was fast and quick 
the face was quite distorted
 the nose looked like a dick!

I showed it to my partner
whose eyes said
‘I think he’s down the crick”
I blurted out to Nigel
“Is this a joke or trick?”
 

“Oh no”, he said, wildly laughing

“It’s my crazy brother Rick

He took 12 tabs of acid then 

his mind went click click click

 

Ma said the Devil’s got him
dancing in his bag of tricks
& now he just another
socially misfit prick.”

 

From a dream of 11/03/2020

Drawing/Poem 11/8/2020 & 2/7/2021

©j.m. frase-white 2/9/2021