The Brown-Eyed Girls

an old one that disappeared

Just as I was getting to work this morning,
Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" came on the radio.
The volume went up and the remembering started.
High school days of doing little and laughing over silly things.
Somehow that song became our theme, our anthem if you will.
We were the brown eyed girls.
We found hundreds of ways to keep ourselves entertained.
We sang songs.
We made up stories.
We found adventures
and maybe we never went anywhere.
When I think of the brown eyed girls
I remember
making Edsel Weaver blush as red as his hair,
her mama's french toast,
Jerry's hot fudge cake,
watching "Dead Poets Society".

That other brown eyed girl
taught me I was mortal during her first year
away at college.

When I find myself
up on the hill back home,
I go by and visit that brown-eyed girl,
and leave some flowers.

And when our song comes on the radio
I turn it way up
and sing as loud as I can. . .

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

"Do you remember when, we used to sing..." I remember my mom swooning over Rod Stewart singing Have I Told You Lately and asking me who did the song. I said, well, that's Rod Stewart singing, mom, but it's a Van Morrison song. She had heard of Rod Stewart but never Van the Man. The line about mortality proven reminded me sadly of my niece who died while away at college from bacterial meningitis. She just got sick and was dead within a few days. She thought she just had a cold. Play the music loud, for all of us. Bless, F.

[Emily B]

I really never expected to live this long. It's funny sometimes.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

"If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans." F.

[Emily B]

Thank you, friend.

[Robert Haigh]

A good piece of poetic nostalgia! Certain songs can trigger poignant memories, and they become "our songs." We all lead different lives, but I'm sure many readers will easily identify with this write!

[Chris Shaw]

Poignant memories of youth and one brown eyed girl who passed too early. The song is beautiful. I have brown eyed girls. My daughter and granddaughter both have warm, loving eyes of that colour. Thank you for posting. I enjoyed the read.

Chris

[Emily B]

Thank you for reading.

[ice]

"That other brown eyed girl
taught me I was mortal during her first year
away at college."

Am I right in assuming the other brown eyed girl died young?

"I go by and visit that brown-eyed girl,
and leave some flowers. "

A grave?

Or perhaps I have looked too deeply into the metaphors..but whatever it means, the poem struck heartchords that play only when my eyes read beautiful poetry..
Thank you, brown eyed girl, and don't stop singing.

"Do you remember when we used to sing,
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da "

[Ken Simm.]

Just perfect. Not too much this way or that. Just simply perfect in every way.

[Poeticadia]

"When I find myself
up on the hill back home,
I go by and visit that brown-eyed girl,
and leave some flowers. "

I pondered 'mortal' as i read and then the next verse... took my breath away... so unexpected and so quietly but beautifully written... "and leave some flowers". An absolutely amazing poem... and all those beautiful positive memories brought to life again in the song. Wonderful!

[Siddartha Beth Pierce]

MMMMmmmmmm...this gave me chills! I adore that song and brown eyes though I have known very few in my life...still this song has always touched me and your story about it is very moving - thank you!
Love and Light,
Siddartha

[Alicante lullaby]

oh,so very lovely...brown eyed must all be indebted for this lovely write.

[Robin]

music is the language of emotion and you have played it to great effect , poetry .

[pheasant]

Music is such a powerful force for good... as is writing, this being a fine example.
An energizing trip down memory lane.