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I would be the prettiest girl at the party
when I wore my turquoise crinoline dress.
A big blue flower defined a waist
I did not yet have,
reminded me of the creamy icing roses
atop many a birthday cake
that I would always charm the host
into letting me have.
Little white socks trimmed with lace,
tucked neatly inside shiny black patent pumps
that would be too small in six months.
I thought that when I wore
my turquoise crinoline dress
all the boys would stand back in awe,
all the girls would want to be my friend.
What happened was that the boys
didn't notice me or any other girl
but spent the day running after each other
with croquet mallets, the girls talked
about whomever wasn't invited,
and the mothers tried to get us to be quiet
long enough to play Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
I forgot how much the dress made me itch.
After the cake and ice cream and presents,
I couldn't wait to get home
and put on my play clothes and sneakers.
The turquoise crinoline dress
would get hung back in my closet where,
on lonely days with nothing to do,
I would yearn to wear it once more.
I would be the prettiest girl at the party.
© by Martta Rose Kelly.
Used with the author’s permission.
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Martta Rose Kelly enjoys growing things, running, cooking, writing poetry, and photography. She lives with her husband, Tom, and three cats--Cassie, Casper and Captain Jack--in West Orange, New Jersey.
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wayne.goodling@yahoo.com:
nice ending.
Posted 12/04/2020 10:09 PM
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Anastasia:
What a lovely dress! But sometimes (like this) the pretty clothes aren't comfortable, and you've captured that so well!
Posted 12/04/2020 12:53 PM
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Jancan:
Oh, this is nostalgia at its best--with a delightful touch of dry humor!
Posted 12/01/2020 09:05 AM
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Barbara Nielsen:
I remember All the memories you write about knowingly. A bygone area of "play clothes" after school. I just reminisced of this to a longtime friend.
Our Grands know of no such attire. But I think it gave us a better definition of playtime. Which by the way was not arranged by appointment by our mothers.
Thanks for the reminder.
Posted 11/30/2020 02:29 PM
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Lori Levy:
Beautiful and perceptive, full of insights.
Posted 11/29/2020 06:14 PM
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Mama Goose:
childhood disappointments come in many guises, and the truth of what we really love surprises...
Posted 11/29/2020 01:23 PM
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Martta Kelly:
Thank you for your kind words!
Posted 11/29/2020 12:27 PM
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carlpalmer:
I was there, saw her and she was the prettiest girl at the party.
Posted 11/29/2020 11:54 AM
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Doris Bezio:
How innocent and beautiful we all once were. Loved tis poem.
Posted 11/29/2020 11:43 AM
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KevinArnold:
I liked ?the girls talked
about whomever wasn't invited,? showing a greater social awareness.
Posted 11/29/2020 10:41 AM
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Larry Schug:
The lines I like best are the ones about boys and girls. Men and women still act the same. Thanks for this poem.
Posted 11/29/2020 08:36 AM
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paula:
Oh,our childhood dreams! Lovely poem.
Posted 11/29/2020 05:59 AM
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