Our Last Night
Our Last Night …
There was this girl – I would never forget and it all began in the summer of 1977 when I fell in love. Her name was Cyndi and she was a cowgirl from the heartland of Wheatland Wyoming. She was funny, her smile would light up a room, she was carefree, and she was beautiful. We both were 17 and even though we were so young we both had hoped that our love was for a lifetime.
Cyndi my cowgirl had come to Denver, Colorado at the end of May to spend the summer with her grandparents who happened to be my family’s neighbor. I saw her as they arrived that beginning of a summer day and by the time the sun had dropped below the horizon that night I knew her birthday, favorite color, her horse’s name, and of course her hopes and dreams. I am sure she would have told you the same about me.
That summer was – magical – as we became inseparable. We talked and walked around the lake as we looked for a better place to fish, not really caring if we caught one, only that we were together. I pushed her in the kiddie swing, we held hands and like all young lovers we fumbled with the more mature things of adulthood.
Like all May to September romances, they have to come to an end and ours ended on a starry night on a grassy hill in Centennial Park of Englewood, Colorado as we spoke of all the things we were going to do to keep in touch, like write letters and call every day. We laughed, we cried, we kissed, all the things that young lovers do. We had so much hope and our dreams of a life together did not seem that far away.
The next day Cyndi and her folks were killed in a car accident on Interstate 25 heading home to Wyoming. I miss my cowgirl – I loved you Cyndi, hell I still do even after all these years. Thank you for the memories.
“Our Last Night”
Looking back, I remember our last night,
Stars above had never been so bright.
My memory of the kiss we shared,
Nothing I ever felt could ever compare.
You in my arms I had everything,
That night you were my Queen, and I your King.
Our last night the world was ours to take,
How could I have known the agony, the ache?
I did not know the way it would end,
Memories are still hard for me to comprehend.
Our lives had been left to fate, to chance,
On the night of our last starlight dance.
The accident, death took you away,
So many things I didn’t get to say.
I learned to cherish the moments that are small,
Never know when they will be gone and you lose them all.
By Kurt James
Kurt James © 2017
Where to purchase Kurt James novels and books:
https://www.amazon.com/Kurt-James/e/B01DTOJ7KC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1512258165&sr=1-1
The Denver Post, PM Magazine, and 9NEWS, all well-known Denver, Colorado media sources, have highlighted the powerful and evocative work of poet and novelist Kurt James. Focusing on Old West history, Kurt contributes feature articles to HubPages and Creative Exiles, exploring the eerie silence of ghost towns, the thrilling tales of outlaws and gunfighters, and the evocative imagery found in the Rocky Mountains.
Kurt’s early admiration for writers such as Jack London, Louis L’Amour, and Max Brand played a significant role in honing his skills as a storyteller. Twenty-one books (and counting!) transport readers to the Colorado Rockies and the Old West through Kurt’s vivid descriptions; the feel of rough-hewn cabins, the sounds of coyotes howling under starry skies, and the smells of campfire smoke and sagebrush are all palpable.
Find Kurt James novels, short stories, reference books, and poetry—published by Midnight Wind Publishing—in print copies or digital downloads at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and other excellent bookstores; explore the diverse range of formats available.
Currently in production - The 10th book in his Rocky Mountain Series - Lee Moomaw Former Lawman.
Kurt is a proud member of the Western Writers of America, a group that values storytelling.
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A sad, emotional verse and nicely penned, Kurt. We never really get over that first love and when it is taken by death that young love remains forever in our hearts. Great work Kurt.
Sometimes Phyllis all we have are memories…. that’s a good thing I think
Very sad Kurt, but those memories of young love will never fade. Nicely penned and emotively expressed.
Thanks Tony for stopping by my campfire, always welcomed.
Kurt these are such precious memories. Your poem plucks at the heartstrings. Similar story with a friend’s sister. She had a wonderful weekend visiting with her fiance. On the way to the airport to return home he was killed in a car accident. Many reunions waiting in the heavens above.
Life has many mysteries Rasma…. love – being the mysterious of all. Yes, many reunions in the heavens above. Thank you for stopping by.
Very sad and heartfelt verse Kurt. Supports the old adage that you have to live every moment like it’s your last. Sometimes those memories are all that you have left and sometimes the ones you want to forget the pain of not knowing what could have been cannot be expressed in words. Great piece Kurt.~Paul
That night – those memories have been with me forever Paul. Thank you for stopping by.