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He liked to noodle on the accordion
brought back from France after WWII, Christmas carols especially
so he could get us all to sing with him.
my first taste of harmony
There's also an old reel to reel tape of him
singing to his French war bride—probably before I was born—
and plucking on a guitar:
"Ah gave her a-kisses wun
Ah gave her a-kisses wun
Ah gave her kisses wun and she sed:
[mom's voice] 'We just begun'
So Ah kep a-kissin', kep a-kissin' own…
Robert Preston was his twin:
same coloring, same hair, same build
He so wanted to play that part in 'Dark at the Top of the Stairs'
or strut his stuff in 'The Music Man'
I think he knew: in public he couldn't quite
muster up that kind of sass
Ah gave her a-kisses two
Ah gave her a-kisses two
Ah gave her kisses two and she sed:
'I do love you'
So Ah kep a-kissin', kep a-kissin' own…
A student orchestra in a small town
Missouri Ozarks high school in the late 1930's—
always conjures up an Andy Hardy movie for me
but with my father as the skinny guy with a big Adam's apple
hoisting a violin up under his chin.
Ah gave her a-kisses four
Ah gave her a-kisses four
Ah gave her kisses four and she sed:
'Give me some more!'
So Ah kep a-kissin', kep a-kissin' own…
Ah gave her a-kisses five
Ah gave her a-kisses five
Ah gave her kisses five and she sed:
'I'm glad I'm alive!'
So Ah kep a-kissin', kep a-kissin' own…
Everybody tunes to him seeing as he has perfect pitch.
I hear them plowing through Brahms for some reason
or maybe Wagner
it's only much later
that I realize he was faking the whole thing
he couldn't read music.
Ah gave her a-kisses six
[don't remember this verse]
Ah gave her a-kisses seven
Ah gave her a-kisses seven
Ah gave her kisses seven and she sed:
'Am I in heaven?'
So Ah kep a-kissin', kep a-kissin' own…
Ah gave her a-kisses eight
[don't remember this one either]
He wanted to join the circus as a kid—who doesn't?—but he was serious.
Had a plan & a buddy to join him & everything.
going to be a clown, have a routine with a three legged stool falling over
live on the road with the troupe.
Didn't happen, though.
burns his foot with the scalding shaving water
& so cannot light out through the window as scheduled
The friend went on without him.
Ah gave her a-kisses nine
Ah gave her a-kisses nine
Ah gave her kisses nine and she sed:
'Will you be mine?'
So Ah kep a-kissin', kep a-kissin' own…
Ah gave her a-kisses ten
Ah gave her a-kisses ten
Ah gave her kisses ten and she sed:
'Begin again!'
So…Ah…Kep a-kissin', kep a-kissin' ahh-uh-own!"
Dad keeps popping up in my memory
he's long gone & we didn't have much contact in my adult years
in his wheelchair at my senior recital
I crouched down to hug him
feel his soft gray whiskers on my cheek
surprised to find him weeping
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