Dorothy (Alves) Holmes (Baltimore, Maryland)

We met in 8th grade...We became great friends and
Years later,

She Dared Me To Write my First Poem January 21,1948...we were both 16...I on January 9th and she on January 20th same year.


'I bet you can't write the second verse to this poem! ' she said to me in sassy manner...

She shoves a note book page to me with a scribble in her handwriting.

The title was 'I Love To Dance! '

How absurd I thought, after all, I was a 'singer! '


Without hesitation I took the paper and began to write...'I'd love to be held close in your arms where only I could share all your charms...'

I followed with a few more line of 'poetic bliss', to my thinking, and her respone was...'How did you do that? '

I replied, hands on hips, 'Well you wrote the first so I wrote the second! '

Eloise replied in evident astonishment, 'Girl, mine was from a song sheet! '
We fell out laughing as any 16 year olds would do.

Of course, I've written thousands of poems since then and I often say, 'It's like breathing to me! '.

My friend Eloise will be laid to rest tomorrow, March 16,2013...Such a sad song for me. We stayed in touch over the years and often still laughed about that dare for me to write a second verse...Who knew? !

Dorothy Alves Holmes
My heart is filled with the sorrow of Eloise's demise
Yet I sing still