A Rose For Agnes Teggerdine

I brought a rose from home one day,
for Agnes Teggerdine
For out of our whole class
she was indeed the most fine
She had all the other fourth grade boys waiting in line
But it was I who held the white rose
that would surely make her mine

So, I walked on up to her as I was feeling gutsy
Said, "I got this for you, Agnes,
and my, you sure look lovely"
And as she was about to speak,
she seemed to be real' bubbly
But when the teacher crushed the rose
it all sure ended suddenly

Now Agnes was looking as sad as I,
but oh, how she'd soon forget
As the time marched by
would I start to wonder why
my life had become regret?
Could there ever be
a chance for our hearts
to mold a true duet?
Or had I forever set my gloom
to only dream her silhouette?

And so I brought more roses one day,
for Agnes Teggerdine
For out of our whole high school
she was the hardest to define
She had a thing with the quarterback,
a matter I'd opine
By presenting a bouquet of orange roses to her,
for my desires she'd feel inclined

But I was wrong! I was wrong!
And he was coming on strong!
The boyfriend disagreed
Something had sure gone terribly wrong,
Oh, these things always happened to me
But was it that fair?
It was I who cared!
When would she finally see?
"I'm here for you, Agnes,
you beautiful angel!
And this is where you need to be!"

Well, six years had gone,
and I'd moved along,
to a woman in New Orleans
But Agnes found me in the phone book
and she had come to intervene
The woman! What nerve!
This was so absurd!
To come between me and Darlene
She said, "Oh please!
I beg of you now
to see what I should have seen!"

I got a rose from her that day,
Yes, from Agnes Teggerdine
For after all this time had passed
she wanted to show me a sign
The one I gave back in grade school
and when the quarterback broke my spine
She was holding out a burgundy rose,
but I had to politely decline

She walked away
She understood
Or at least I thought
A thought no good

For two years later
I got a call
And to my knees
I'd surely fall

Why this way?
I didn't understand
I never thought
This was the plan

Why, oh why, sweet Agnes?
What on earth had she done...?

She was the supposed to be the one

But regardless of my doubt,
there I so stood,
quiet at her funeral
Trying to conjure my final thoughts
just to find I was unable
As time marched on
I pondered for long
if my life was just a fable
Just some cruel joke
that God could revoke
to fix a heart unstable

Though I didn't think so,
I only wanted to know,
why it hadn't gone better
I'm sure if Agnes had never come back,
Darlene and I'd be happy as ever
The woman! What nerve!
This was so absurd!
I bet she thought she was clever
'Cause I was well moved on,
so far along,
just to have my recovery severed

So I brought another rose today,
for Agnes Teggerdine
For out of our whole class
she was indeed the most fine
She had all the other fourth grade boys waiting in line
And now I placed a black rose on the grave
of the woman who'd never been mine

(Written on August 30, 2012)
© Ricky Randall
August 31, 2012