I Remember, Yes, I Remember Poem by Roland Ede

I remember, Yes, I remember
The Summer of forty - two
The sirens loud
The guns and bombs
In Britains struggle
To win through

And at that time,
A change of Schools
Sent me to Holly Park,
So strict but fair
No place to suffer fools

Then in these momentous day's
A happening so great
To shake my youthful way's.

I remember, yes, I remember
The girl that I saw there
In class 1a, the same as I
I tried hard not to stare

Her hair so dark and neat
With eyes more brown than brown
I glimpsed her in her seat.

And even then
My heartstring woke
And stirred within my mind.

Her name was Joyce
And plain to see
She was the girl for me,

We went through School
And not a class apart
Until our time was through

Fourteen, the year to leave
Our working life to start.

I remember, yes, I remember
The winter of forty - five
Her Schooldays done
Six months in front of mine,

This must be it!
She's gone
And I'd not sense to ask
To meet again
And could it be soon?

New way's for us so young
Find jobs and learn a trade.
A year slips by
Sad thoughts of date's not made.

I remember, yes, I remember
The winter of forty - six,
While working in my office
A new girl is employed

I know this girl!
It's Joyce's friend
From Holly Park our School!

I ask her how Joyce is
The answer 'very well'
I say 'and will you please
Ask if we can meet? '

The answer relayed back to me
It really is a yes!

The meet's arranged
Its in our lunch hour
We'll meet on her way home

Ten minutes by bus
And I am there

I know ehere she will walk
My tie is straight
Excitement tense
But can I sensibly talk?

I see her then
It's her and no mistake,
Her hair so dark
Eye's sparkling brown

The Schoolgirl that I knew
No longer was in view,
But here, grown up,
And very lovely too.

We talked and walked
To where she lived
Time short
Cant be late
I had to catch my bus

Must go, but then
I have just made the date!

I remember, yes, I remember
The evening of our first date,
Cold January twenty - nine,
I'm early (can not be late)
I wait outside the Odeon,
Who's cold? not me, I'm fine

The bus, a one-two-five
Comes rushing to a stop
I see her getting off and then
I greet her with a smile

Two two and nine's
The price I pay
The best seats in the house
And would she like some choc's?
The ones we both will always share
Our favourite, Dairy Box.

The film show over now
We stand for 'God save the King'
It's time to take her home,
We queue together at the stop
The wind blows freezing cold

I wrap my coat around us both
I say, to keep her warm
But truth to own
It brings us close
So I can look
Into her eyes so brown.

I remember, yes, I remember
The Autumn of Nineteen fifty,
Three happy years we've spent
Together all the while
And now it's National Service time
My call-up soon is sent

Two years to serve,
It's in the RAF,
How long to be apart?
It's not so bad
As I had thought

I often can get home
On many a week-end pass.

Our letters to each other
Pass daily in the post
Mine sometimes do contain
A short but loving rhyme,
And hers to me the same
But sometimes also this
End with a lipstick kiss.

My National Service days now done
I'm back in Civvis Street
So good to see her all the time
To make our plans complete.

Ten years have now gone by
Since the Summer of forty-two
When first I saw her face,
Then was it luck?
Or maybe fate?
That Winter of forty-six.

I remember, yes, I remember
The Summer of fifty-three,
The Queen and Coronation day,
But no, much more than that
In June that year our Wedding
At All Saints, Oakleigh Road,

I turn and look to see her
Coming down the Aisle
She's on her Father's arm

Her dress pure white
And darker shows her hair
Her eyes of course are shining brown
But finely covered by her veil
Then smiles that both we share,

She says 'I will' so softly
Then in my turn
I say that 'I will' too

A fine Reception
Enjoyed by all
Was in the Springfield Hall
Then came the time
For Bride and Groom to leave
The music, food and wine.

Her Mother came and held my hand
And said 'look after her'
She knew of course I would,
I said 'you know I will'
The best way that I could

I remember, yes, I remember
The Spring of fifty-seven
In March that year
Was born, and to our joy,
A healthy baby Boy.

Two years on,
Then April fifty-nine,
To put us in a whirl,
A lovely baby Girl.

I remember, yes, I remember
All the years since then,
A further forty-eight have passed.

So can it really be
Sixty years and five
Since that Summer of forty-two
When first we met in School

Two images have stayed
Fixed always in my mind,
Of Joyce at Holly Park School
Sitting at her desk,

And see her then so clear
Stepping from the Bus,
And knowing that from there
It'll be not you or me
But us.