I remember the first kiss,
As I bent to whisper good-bye
And you grabbed my collar in both hands.
Pulled down to your level,
You pressed your full, hungry lips
On my shy mouth,
Dispensing your love
Like a gumball machine,
Catering to anyone's penny.
And afterwards,
I ran, blushing and breathless
Down four flights of stairs
While assorted friends
Leaned out to watch.
Is she sick?
I was fifteen
And that first kiss,
Burned into my mind
Like a branded calf.
You are a stranger
Although I knew your name once,
Long since forgotten
In the come and go of other kisses.
But that plain brown wrapper
Kiss, one of a cast
Of thousands in your play,
Still lingers when your face and name
Have faded.
Copyright 1994, Diana W. Smith, All Rights Reserved