Monday, August 8, 2011

Moonlight Becomes You..





it was thousands of miles
from Newark to Normandy
it was a hundred years
between him and Peggy Ann

a three-quarter moon
sheltered him from the darkness
Peg sheltered him from the stillness
with pink lemonade, a promise

a phonograph playing Harry James
as Al played out his future
in between the scent of Peggy Ann
the memory of D-Day

"You know Peg every time I saw a pin-up of Betty Grable I thought of you. 
I thought, my Peggy Ann is much prettier than even Betty Grable.  And I
told all the guys that too...they were jealous."

"Oh Al, I am so glad the war is over. So glad that you came home to me."

"Let's not talk about the war Peg"....He cocked his knee turned to
look straight at her. "Now tell me again, how many
kids should we have Peg, three or four maybe?"

"Two boys, two girls...that would be perfect, wouldn't it?..More lemonade?  

"Sure that would be nice."

"What should I put on the phono next Al?"

"How about Bing's... Moonlight Becomes You...."

"You got it Al"

It was thousands of miles from Newark to Normandy....

bkmackenzie
copyrighted 2011

Posted for Magpie Tales

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29 comments:

  1. ClaudiaAugust 8, 2011 at 10:57 AM

    two boys, two girls and some pink lemonade for me as well please...smiles

    loved this bk - Peg sheltering him from the stillness...this has an old movie feeling and i can almost hear the buzzing of the projector...very nice..

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  2. Tumblewords:August 8, 2011 at 12:05 PM

    Softly sweet and tender...beautiful.

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  3. BerowneAugust 8, 2011 at 12:09 PM

    Yes, so many remember those days -- Newark to Normandy.

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  4. Kerry O'ConnorAugust 8, 2011 at 12:10 PM

    You have created an entire world.

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  5. signed...bkmAugust 8, 2011 at 12:40 PM

    For many of us this was the world of our parents....and we are one of the three or four kids they planned or one they did not plan but here we are...thanks for stopping by...bkm

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  6. Brian MillerAugust 8, 2011 at 3:01 PM

    you certainly fill the space in between them with a bit of magic BK...and a soundtrack to accompany...very nice bit of story telling in this...

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  7. MaryAugust 8, 2011 at 5:48 PM

    Beautiful, BKM. I felt as if I was rifht there as you told this take. I have a sense of nostalgia for these much simpler times.

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  8. SuzAugust 8, 2011 at 7:21 PM

    ah love
    you have told a wonderful story

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  9. Kathe W.August 8, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    lovely! I can see my parents in your story.

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  10. steveroniAugust 8, 2011 at 9:24 PM

    BKM, I LOVED this story--is today a "war-story" day? I've read several, mine among them! Good, the whole story, but my mind wrapped around the (maybe insignificant?) line

    "...a three-quarter moon
    sheltered him from the darkness
    Peg sheltered him from the stillness..."

    How sweetly imagined! I love it!

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  11. signed...bkmAugust 8, 2011 at 10:11 PM

    Steve you wrapped around correctly...it is my favorite line too...thank you..bkm

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  12. Jenne' R. Andrews August 9, 2011 at 12:09 AM

    How cool is this! We were on the same page-- check mine out. xxxj

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  13. The UnknowngnomeAugust 9, 2011 at 1:35 AM

    Ah, our parent's world and our memories thereof nicely captured.

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  14. Erratic ThoughtsAugust 9, 2011 at 5:15 AM

    Sweet and lovely take on the prompt...

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  15. annell4August 9, 2011 at 8:03 AM

    Yes, I liked it!

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  16. SheilaAugust 9, 2011 at 9:11 AM

    mmmm...young love, romantic, innocent, full of dreams - very nostalgic, bkm. a lovely story.

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  17. Maude LynnAugust 9, 2011 at 10:19 AM

    Beauty and a touch of sadness. I like it very much.

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  18. Brigid O'ConnorAugust 9, 2011 at 1:31 PM

    Lovely piece, so sad to think of the ones who never made it home.

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  19. LynAugust 9, 2011 at 4:22 PM

    What a great, nostalgic piece this is..love, war,romance, pin-ups..who could ask for more?

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  20. ScarletAugust 9, 2011 at 5:22 PM

    Nicely spun tale... I like these lines:

    "Peg sheltered him from the stillness
    with pink lemonade, a promise"

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  21. Charles Elliott/BeautyseerAugust 9, 2011 at 10:33 PM

    Very evocative period piece. But the leading pinup model/actress of World War II was not "Betty Garble," but Betty Grable. Sorry! I also write a little history...

    Charles Elliott

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  22. TrellissimoAugust 10, 2011 at 2:13 AM

    You caught the flavour here, and no mistake...

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  23. Doctor FTSEAugust 10, 2011 at 6:43 AM

    Very realistic yet very romantic. Perhaps the typo (Garble for Grable) was deliberate?

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  24. Sherry Blue SkyAugust 10, 2011 at 9:15 AM

    This is absolutely glorious, Barbara, nostalgic and evocative. Made me homesick for Back Then.

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  25. signed...bkmAugust 10, 2011 at 11:08 AM

    Thanks for the correction..it was not deliberate..i spelt it correcting first than listened to spell-check...always have to recheck my checking..thanks for pointing out..bkm

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  26. The Blog of BeeAugust 11, 2011 at 12:40 PM

    The innocence of this is wonderful. a special take on the prompt,

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  27. J Cosmo NewberyAugust 13, 2011 at 12:41 AM

    You won me with the pink lemonade!

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  28. dsAugust 13, 2011 at 10:24 AM

    Oh, lovely. Such a poignant reminder of what so many of the young men of that era had endured. Thank you.

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  29. Tess KincaidAugust 13, 2011 at 1:50 PM

    Lovely war time romance. Well done, B.

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