The Hot Summer of ‘72

 

We often took long summer vacations...

Piled the kids into the old station wagon...

Loaded her up with so much stuff...

Her rear end was practically draggin’...

We always headed over to the Gulf Coast... 

For a stay at our cousin’s summer home...

We were often watched by my grandmother...

When the adults wanted to go out alone...

I was going into seventh grade...

Meeting girls was high on my list...

I usually hung out with all my cousins...

But this year I wanted to finally get kissed...

It was fun to see all my relatives...

And have family fish fries on the beach... 

I’ll never forget that very first time... 

When I laid eyes on that Georgia peach...

She was sitting on a large bathing towel... 

Her skin was glistening in the bright sun... 

We both smiled the minute our eyes met... 

Her smile said she was looking for some fun...

I motioned gently towards the beach...

Wondering if she wanted to take a walk... 

I was hoping to leave the families behind... 

So she and I could go alone and talk...

She slowly shook her head yes...

And she offered a grin and a wink...

This was going to be a hell of a summer... 

Or so I was beginning to think...

We walked down the sandy shoreline...

I was ready for my challenge to begin...

She was there vacationing with her family...

Staying next door at The Biloxi Inn...

She said her name was Shawn...

And was going into seventh grade, like me... 

Her family lived just outside Savannah... 

She was just as pretty as a girl could be…

As the summer sun began to set...

She suggested we go for a swim...

It was at that moment I completely forgot about dinner...

As she took my hand and pulled me in...

We swam out far enough to still touch bottom...

As we bobbled up and down in delight...

She stared at me with her soft blue eyes...

Then she came closer and held me tight...

All of a sudden, her lips touched mine... 

They were soft and wet and delicious...

I didn’t expect it to happen that soon...

But she gifted me my summertime wishes...

She kissed me once, and then again...

It was so much better than I had hoped...

We decided to go sit behind the dunes...

I now wondered if my coals would get stoked...

We completely forgot about any curfew...

As we talked and kissed until dawn...

I could never have planned a more better night...

Than with that Georgia peach named Shawn...

My inner wolf howled towards the moon...

As we held each other in a warm embrace...

It seemed like the perfect way to begin my vacation... 

As she brought me to my happy place...

We snuggled all night together...

Like we were attached at each other’s hips... 

It seemed like whenever I wasn’t looking... 

She planted another wet one on my lips...

As the sun slowly began to rise...

We agreed to walk back home from the shore...

She took my hand and planted one more kiss...

And then she headed towards her door...

My mother had waited up all night...

She yelled “Where in the heck have you been?” 

I told her I stayed out with a Georgia peach... 

My dad just winked and offered a grin...

That was the last time I ever saw her... 

Her family left for home the next day... 

I’ll never forget my night with Shawn...

As her sweet memories will always stay...

© 2022 Jeffrey Pipes Guice

My Wonder Years: A Book