Five bright costumes, side-by-side,
and faded, now, with time.
All fitted snug as to abide
a passion so sublime
Five tender hopes and dreams are hid
within those stalwart folds;
and trust to guide each separate thread,
lest mem’ries should grow cold.
Five characters, attached to each
Five distinct roles to play
For years, the players play pretend
to hold Youth in delay.
The lights go dim, the world’s a hush;
o’erhead, a gay refrain
to prompt us to our rightful place
and start the show again
A jester, here, purple and gold
for someone small and fair,
With piggy-tails and painted face,
All wrapped in joyous flair.
She trades marotte and jingly shoes
for gown and silver veil
And crosses heart to love and hold
should happiness prevail
But, soft! the pitter-patter feet
as winter turns to spring,
Our Jester-dear comes forth to jest
for her own—smaller—king.
Genteel Mother, heart of gold,
trade pleasure from all pain
and guide him in his wobbly steps
to start the show again
A pom-pom set is next in line,
complete with cap and gown
For pompadours and poodle skirts
in Rock n’ Roller town
Those Summer Nights so realized,
and come and gone so fast;
Her fingers grip the costumes tight;
she longs for what has passed.
Photo books from way back when,
with visions of such bliss
she trades her spotlight for a pen
and writes of things she’ll miss
Like starry nights and roll-down hills,
and camp-outs now and then;
Oh, how I often wish to go
and start that show again
A dress, a hat, a pair of gloves
our next contender wore;
With dancing steps and lilting tones
she moves across the floor.
For every opportunity,
she gave the stage her all
Though, sometimes, she got lost in back,
her Presence was not small.
A Summer bride, a maiden fair
Her play begun at last,
Each day a new adventure dawns;
She joins a whole new cast
Forever left to laugh and love
with your Forever Friend
There is no need to turn back now
and start the show again
A bright pink dress suit and a hat,
and heels—a size thirteen,
Pay tribute to the best of best:
Our gentle giant-Queen
With tow’ring grace and half-crazed smile,
the sight alone brought laughs
And though the curtain’s long come down,
He smiles on our behalf.
Both proud and humble; big, and kind,
he cannot be replaced
No other, for however tall,
lights rooms up like his face
The future calls: your own sweet Queen,
to whom your heart attends
So take her hand, and travel on
and start the show again
A bobby hat, in Navy blue
rests on its uniform
The essence of that clever gent
who taught us to perform.
His style, unique; his laughter, grand
His comp’ny, sound and strong
He walked us through each step and twirl
for all the summer long
Another stage has called him forth;
a job he does so well
How lucky, he has found himself
within that world to dwell.
The curtain holds a steady flow
as higher you ascend;
It’s time to take another bow,
then start your show again.
Five bright costumes, side-by-side,
and faded, now, with time.
Five bright souls, who gave their light
to passion so sublime
Five friendships that have come and gone,
within the whirling tide
that now have passed through childhood’s veil
and found the other side
Five characters, attached to each
Five distinct roles to play
For years, these players played pretend
to hold Youth in delay.
Those grand old songs, those happy tales;
the wish that I now send,
is that, someday, the show may start
and never stop again
— C.O.
