Please, Not That Again
How burdensome they seemed, wartime
oldies that could drive our parents teary:
“I’ll Be Seeing You,” with its hint
of being swept off in a global riptide;
or the shaky follow-up of “I’ll Be Home
for Christmas,” followed by a shakier
“Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree
(with Anyone Else But Me),” “Comin’
in on a Wing and a Prayer,” or “Ac-
Cent-Tchu-Are the Positive.” We suffered
them on the old cathedral radio, crooned
by Crosby and Sinatra, had to watch them
strangled on The Lawrence Welk Show
or laced with Como’s heavy dose
of sedative. Dad told us, “Straighten Up
and Fly Right.” Mom hummed, “Keep
the Home Fires Burning”—till our music
cut the cord. Brash and free of corn,
it hailed rock ‘n’ roll, caught Maybellene
at the top of the hill, moaned “m’ baby-doll,
m’ baby-doll, m’ baby-doll.” We played it
loud and often, but they never understood.
Copyright Credit: William Trowbridge, "Please, Not That Again" from Vanishing Point. Copyright © 2017 by William Trowbridge. Reprinted by permission of Red Hen Press.
Source: Vanishing Point (Red Hen Press, 2017)