The Girl in the Bug Eyed Sprite
Dan Crummett
187th Assault Helicopter Company
The malts were extra thick that night,
The air was sweet and warm,
The western sky’s blue-white flash
Bore news of a thunderstorm
The curb-hops sailed between the cars
With malts and fries and Cokes
While a cast of studly teenage males
Discussed their cars and smoked.
In the parking place, out by the street
Sat a Chevrolet Bel-Air
A bronze two-door with tuck and roll
And flames put on with care
Beneath the hood, below the quad
The small-block Chevy roared
To impress the girls and get the
goat of the next guy, in a Ford.
Now the Fairlane, too, would rumble loud
From its engine, slightly larger
With factory duals drowning out the whine
Of a Paxton supercharger.
None of us had seen this pair
before on summer nights,
But their haughty insults grew intense —
We knew there’d be a fight.
My root beer float was melting fast
So I chugged it with delight
And noticed sitting next to me,
a girl in a Bug Eyed Sprite.
Now I was in my father’s car,
a four-door white sedan,
An under-powered “practi-car”
The size of a moving van.
I longed to be driving a new Corvette
Or a Falcon Sprint with duals,
To get this girl’s attention
As I suavely played it cool.
But with the noise off to my left,
and the approaching thunderstorm
This aphrodyte in the Brit skateboard
Called for action – not my norm.
The pair of Fifty-Sevens,
Were backing out to race
When I finally bolted out, around
And met her face-to-face
Her beauty put old Fords to shame.
I stuttered as I asked her name
And felt a fool to invite her there
To go and watch the racing pair
Her saucer eyes were deep sea green
Her hair was Raven Black
She said “of course, and it’s Eileen,”
My trembling jaw went slack
Now all at once we’re in my car
With thoughts all run asunder
The racers left so long ago,
And now I hear it thunder.
I heard the Chevy jumped off the line
With front wheels off the ground
But within twelve lengths the Fairlane’s
Torque propelled it well around.
I must admit, we missed the race
But I’ll remember well that night
As lightning flashed and thunder rolled
With the girl in a Bug Eyed Sprite.
Copyright 1999– Dan Crummett