Happiness And Shirley Temple Girls Poem by Dorothy (Alves) Holmes

I begged to wear my starched,
Dotted swiss in lilac, with white raised polka dots.
Being a princess, my daddy said, so you see, I wore satin ribbons
In my Shirley Temple curls, which all little girls
Wore, no matter the color or length of their hiar.
Shiny shoes of black patent leather, I cried to wear...and
Of course the weather was divine and happiness was mine.
Ice cream cones and a merry-go-round
I rode over and over again, giving no sound
To voice the panic I felt as it turned and turned,
Too fast for my delight, but I showed no fright.
We rolled and rolled down green velvet hills
In frolicking thrills...my dress, suddenly a mess.
Mama's warning to keep the dress clean was
Lost in a dream as we screamed, my siblings
And I...playing tag and swinging on swings
Pushed high in the air and I forgot about my hair
With its Shirley Temple Curls, now a swirl that
No longer curled.

Summer fun, ah so nice to retrace my memories blessed
Back to that place where laughter, dreams and happiness
Were mine to keep as treasures, forever!