In the GI Housing

my very first boyfriend was Bobby Samson.

He lived next door..

We must have been 2 or 3 years old.

My mother has pictures.

He had blond hair and blue eyes.

I had blond hair at the time

            and big brown eyes.

We were devoted and followed each other

            around every day.

My father was upset and complained to my mother

that I was spending all my time with

            this goyeshe boy.

And my mother said,

            “Don’t be silly.

            they’re only 3.

            Nothing will happen.”

Of course, nothing did.

Bobby and his parents moved away,.

and I forgot about him.

My hair turned brown to match my eyes.

Back in those days, as part of gym class

you also learned to dance.

When I was 10 and in the 6^th grade

we were trained in a formal line dance.

In preparation for a performance.

I was partnered with Steven Lipski

who was not happy about it.

He had blond hair and grey eyes.

We were clumsy at first

but the dance teacher barked and barked.

Steven and I got better and better,

with low sweeps and perfect turns.

The teacher praised us.

Steven whirled in embarrassment –

to be praised for dancing with this ugly girl!

And him, the baseball tzar!

But we were better and better

and she put us in the front of the line.

On performance day, I had a new red dress

And my mother pulled my hair,

which had always been in my eyes,

into a new ponytail.

When Steve saw me he sort of gasped

And off we went, leading the line

with deep sweeps and perfect turns.

The other 10 year olds followed.

I knew then I would be a ballerina.

I suspect my mother and Mrs. Lipski

got a lot of compliments that day and

the other children treated me with

new respect, Including Steve.

He married someone else, of course.

Maybe he had children

I doubt he taught them to dance.

Now he’s dead.

I go on.

He might have been my second love,

but not my last.