i remember my first puppy love

though looking back, maybe it was more real

than any other love i have felt since then

though i was 14 years old, he never lied to me

complications were in between us, small obstacles to me

he was 7 years older and knew so much more than i

his green eyes were enchanting and i hung onto every word

seeing now, he treated me with respect, never playing games

when he said he believed i was beautiful, he meant it

as we would meet in secret on warm summer nights

he was the one that kept it from going too far

saying my first time should be special

took a year and a half but i finally demanded what i had needed

gentle, sweet, loving because that was his style

then school started back for me and time seemed to pass 

drifted away from being the giddy girl that doted on him

he was moving on too, after all i never asked him to wait

the last memory i have of him is his hair glistening in the sun

as we swam in a river nearby his home and he begged me to not marry

it's a promise i had made to another that i wanted to take back

too many things had happened and i had to refuse his request

i married and then a few years later divorced

my first love was treating someone else like a princess 

so i never bothered him though i wanted to know if he was happy

i never learned the answer for he passed away

so young, life isn't fair, but i remember how special our love was

@ donetta sifford 6-7-2013 

written for a prompt at:        Poets United