How We Met: Poem

Giddy 14 year old 

Meeting  friend’s older brother—Dave,

Easter Sunday at church—

     Looks right over my head

     So handsome, so stuck-up

Invisible

Silly 16 year old

Picking up Dave’s brother for youth group

In my Studebaker rattletrap.

     Never looks up from his chair

     So handsome, so beyond me

Invisible

 “Mature” 22 year old

Living in Whisper Lake Apartments

Dave, Senior Class President, 17

Introduced at a party there.

    Sipping his scotch, no recognition

    So handsome, so arrogant

Invisible

Disinterested 22.5 year old

Double dating with my friend Mary . . .and Dave

      Four of us:  movies and drinks 

      So handsome, so indifferent

Invisible

Confident 23 year old

Asked Mary to join me at a party

She “has a date”—Dave.

He walks into the party without her,

       Sees me glaring at him,

       Asks me to dance.

       So handsome, so clueless

Invisible

When the music stops. . . .

 Eyes flashing, voice trembling in anger,

“Aren’t you supposed to be with Mary?”

Me, Goofball,14

His friend is amused, I am not.

     Shifting from foot to foot,

     He looks at me. His eyes widen in disbelief

     “Don’t tell her you saw me here”.

     “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t”.

He sees me.

Our children ask,

      “How did you and Dad meet?”

“At church”

Thanks to Bill Tucker for "Invisible" when I told the story.