Paula And Eddie Poem by Kelsey Gallant

Little girl on roller skates
Zooming around, doing figure 8's
Caught the eye of a boy around her age
As her parents hauled boxes every which way

"I'm Paula, " she said. "Eddie, " said he
She thought they'd be neighbors but it wasn't to be
It was moving day not only for her, but for him
Eddie moved out the day Paula moved in

~

Fresh out of college, on his own
Not quite ready for a settle-down home
Found an apartment where the rent was cheap
Moved in the moment he got the key

He passed the old tenant on his way down the hall
They exchanged a quick "hi" and that was all
If they'd talked for longer she might have seemed familiar to him
But Paula moved out the day Eddie moved in

~

40 years old, going in for surgery
She thought, "I'm too young for an artificial knee"
They said, "You did great! Let's get you in recovery
There's a patient in there now but he's about to leave"

She saw the man in question as she was wheeled into the room
Bandages and casts, face swelled up like a balloon
If they'd become roommates she may have asked what happened
But Eddie moved out the day Paula moved in

~

Seventy and widowed, didn't want to live alone
Eddie moved into a retirement home
A woman smiled at him as she stepped out from next door
She said, "I could swear that I've seen you before"

She invited him over, they talked and they laughed
And then a picture on her wall made Eddie gasp
A little girl on roller skates, her mouth set in a grin
After all these years, he'd found Paula again