Dreaming Big
  • Home
    • Staff
    • Members Only
  • Contact
  • Our Books
    • Non Fiction
    • Fiction
    • Poetry
    • Children's Books
    • Audio Books
  • Coming Soon
  • Blog
  • Opportunities
    • Call For Submissions
    • Submissions Guidelines
    • FAQ
  • Gifts and More

'Fifty Years Later' by Donal Mahoney

8/6/2016

0 Comments

 
Fifty Years Later
 
Fifty years ago
Jane got on a plane
and flew away
without saying good-bye.
Her parents took her, I know.
She was only 14 but she 
could have said good-bye
 
to me, the swain 
who saw her through
our last three years 
of grammar school
when she wore braces,
the only girl who had them.
 
Fifty years later 
at our class reunion
she didn’t come
but I did in a new suit. 
Charlie showed me 
a class photo of all of us
smiling except for Jane. 
The braces, I guess.
Charlie asked how many kids 
I could name and I named 
every one except for Jane.
 
Charlie said with mock surprise,
“You don’t remember Jane?
You two were pretty tight,
going to the movies and 
sitting in the balcony,
buttered popcorn and all,
a pretty big deal back then.
Someone told the nuns 
and they were furious."
 
I smiled and said 
“Well, Jane flew away
the summer after eighth grade
without saying good-bye.
I heard ten years later 
she got rid of the braces
and married some Swede
who likes sardines. 
He makes his own lutefisk.
I wish Jane and Ole well.
She was only 14 but she 
could have said good-bye.”
 
 
Donal Mahoney
 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Challenge Participant
    Parajunkee Design
    I review for BookLook Bloggers
    Professional Reader
    Book Reviewer Sign Up

    1888PressRelease
    YA Bound Book Tours

Services

Ask A Therapist
Blog
Our Books
Coming Soon

Company

About Us
Staff
​

Support

Contact
FAQ

Find and follow us on social media 
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.