That was his name,
and he was my flame,
My tender 4th grade flame.
We never kissed.
Wonder what I missed.
Or did we, and I just forgot?
Oh, he was cute, and so mature, much more so than the others.
Maturity, you know, is important at that age,
Thoughtfulness,
Tenderness, too.
He moved away, far too soon,
but left two things behind:
a heart on a chain, left in my box,
my shoebox covered with hearts,
with a slit on the top
and a place in my heart.
He signed his Valentine... "Rocky."
Ah... the sweet memory of young love. He was ahead of his times, and I wonder where he is these days. He didn't stay long in my life, but his legacy lives on, and sometimes I allow my heart to go back to those "once upon a time" days.
The heart he gave me was black. It was a faceted black heart-shaped pendant that swung beautifully on a silver-toned chain. Striking it was in appearance and most unusual for a 4th grader of the 1960's to possess. Wish I had it now. Wish I could hold it in my hand, but its memory will have to do. Perhaps that's even better than a heart made of plastic... or... one made of stone.
Rocky, where are you? I really liked you, you know.
And now... now that you are a memory of those innocent days gone by, I realize what a treasure you were. You see, you gave me more than a heart of stone... you gave me sweet memories to hold in my heart... and THAT, my old flame... is the real treasure!
Silly me, but I love the memory...
Cindy...
the girl from Plato Elementary School
(Note from the author: Saying, "I like you." or "I love you." is more important than we realize. Say it. Mean it. Live it. And do it today. Everyday should be Valentine's Day!)
@Copyright 2011, 2012. 2013, 2014 Cindy Lou Hodges All Rights Reserved.
