My Only Valentine
Yvonne was my first love, she was only twenty
When the Angels came down and took her from me
Time is a great healer I would hear people say
But my sadness and pain has never gone away.
I'm eighty years old now and I've lived my life
And pray that someday I again see my wife
It's always more painful on Valentine's Day
My only wish now is to quietly fade away.
She was sixteen and a cheerleader for our team
"Hi" she said smiling it was the start of our dream
Just good friends at first and then we fell in love
Cupid's arrow hadn't missed us from way up above.
We'd go down to the beach and lie on the sand
And just two years later I asked for her hand
"My soul mate, best friend and love of my life
I would be so honoured if you'd be my wife".
"Of course John " she said and gave me a big smile
That I'd again love to see; it's been too long a while
We would always see each other every single day
And I would not have had it any other way.
We left school, started work and saved all our money
Friends said " you're too young and what is your hurry"
Yvonne was nineteen as she walked down the aisle.
Then there she was beside me and gave me a smile.
We bought our first house right down by the sea
And her big dream was one day to have a family
A year later I came home from working one night
An ambulance was outside with a blue flashing light.
Her parents were there; and her three sisters too
They said "she'd called them and tried to call you
She had complained of pains at the back of her head
We went round to the house and found her lying dead".
Their tears were now flowing but I just had to see
I could not believe what they had just told me
She had tried to call me but I was working outside
I knelt down beside her; held her hand and just cried.
They placed her on a stretcher and then took her away
Yvonne's parents insisted at their house I should stay
And for days I'd just sit there staring into space
I would have given just anything to take her place.
Her funeral day came; friends and family were there
All through the service I cried, I just did not care
The flowers on her white coffin were beautiful to see
And that has always stayed with me in my memory
I moved out of our house that we used to share
The memories were too painful, I couldn't stay there
I'd go down to the beach and walk along the sand
And think back to the day when I asked for her hand.
On our first Valentines Day sixty three years ago
I realised then that I loved her and told her so
She gave me that big smile, followed by a kiss
My beautiful angel Yvonne I surely do miss.
Written 14/02/2018.
Forever My Love Valentine Poetry Contest
Sponsored by BJ Legros Kelley.
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