One Perfect Kiss

Brandon community bowling alley and skating rink - July 1968: He had noticed this new lovely last Saturday night as he pushed the dust mop up and down the lanes. He did this routine task every night, a few minutes before the cigarette smoking, shit talking, hardcore bowlers arrived. Over on the skating rink that adjoined the 8 lane bowling alley, the skaters were there, early as usual; their mindless chatter a cacophony of teenage madness. He had thought about this new, graceful beauty all week and now here she was again. His mind whirled with plans designed to, at the very least, somehow catch her eye. Suddenly, his romantic reverie was shattered by the building manager's piercing reprimand. He looked up to see William Donahue's wonky finger pointing at the waxy hardwoods: "We ain't got all day boy!" "Yes, sir, I'm on it", he croaked back; but despite the admonishment, his gaze immediately drifted directly back to the alluring figure sitting just apart from the gaggle of chewing gum chomping chirpies. To his amazement, she demurely looked his way and smiled at him as she laced up her skates; then abruptly, with one graceful pirouette, she was on the floor. She could skate rings around the other girls...and there was just something about her. So, it had come down to this, Saturday night with Frankie Valli blaring from the juke box, and his heart beating a little faster...

Her skating skills were legendary,
a hardwood ballerina.
She had talents more profound
Than skating round in circles

Shy with eyes most otherworldly,
happily a chance beginning.
Lead to one short, stolen kiss
and a love that's never ending

One perfect kiss in the dark recess
One perfect kiss as she catches her breath
Before my heart could recover
she's back in the groove
One perfect kiss in shimmering light.
One perfect kiss to last all the night.
One note of her favorite song
And I'm yesterday's news.

Shy with eyes most otherworldly,
happily a chance beginning.
The skating rink has long been gone,
but the love is never ending.

One perfect kiss in the dark recess
one perfect kiss in a brief moments rest.
My heart would never recover
from her glide and her spin.
One perfect kiss, her eyes on the rink.
One perfect kiss, then gone in a blink.
I'd wait in the shadows until
she returned once again.


Donahue: You're fired!

Author's take: Too many unnatural rhymes, but, you know, man, the times were desperate.