Virginity Lost

"not to irksome toil, but to delight." 

Book 9, line 242

"Wherein lies th'offense, that man should thus attain to know?" 

Book 9, lines 725-6, "Paradise Lost," - John Milton,  

40 years  ago

I lost my virginity.

I can't say that I tried very hard to find it.

It wasn't especially important to me.

In fact, I thought I'd be better off without it.

A few times I went away on vacation,

I hoped that I would lose it,

and my virginity would stay behind,

lost in the Adirondacks,

or near some Canadian lake.

But, it didn't work that way

I lost it locally

with a girl who lived

just down the lane from me

whose virginity had long disappeared.

She was very pretty,

and she was happy to see me

I was entirely too serious

a scholar where scholars were disdained

I ran track, the school played football.

I don't know why she liked me

she had broken up a month or two before

with a football player, half again my weight

perhaps she simply didn't want to be crushed

or maybe it was the way I said thank you.

So, it got away from me

lost, somewhere in her parent's house

by her bed, or perhaps on the floor

perhaps my virginity had met hers

and they were off gallivanting.