In a tiny, distant town
On a broad, exquisite island
Lived a young, frivolous fellow
And a girl named Julianne

One cool and quiet morning
While the breeze tickled the grasses,
This fine, young fellow chanced to see
The most beautiful of all lasses

The leisured ambling stopped abruptly
The fellow’s jaw did drop
And, as this goddess came nearer
It seems his heart did stop!

And she, with brilliant raven hair,
And pretty and graceful gait,
Attired in silk gown; hair adorned with gold blooms
And with eyes the color of date

Advanced to meet this man quite meekly
A contrast to her beauty bold,
And he, frozen in his tracks,
Stood still, frosted and cold

She reached to touch his icy fingers,
To warm his frozen hand,
But needed not much--as he felt her touch
And cried joyously, awaking the land!

She, taken aback and slightly frightened
By this strange but happy fellow
Retreated--running far and away
Dropping her flowers yellow



Summarily his grin faltered and fell
He stooped to rescue a fallen bloom
And, sheepishly, somberly watched her depart
As sad and solemn as a tomb

Mustering courage, her he called after
“Hark! Beauty of the land!
Pray tell, dear girl, what is thy name?”
And she answered, “Julianne.”

His grin returned, but she did not
Still racing down the street
But he, forever optimistic,
Cried, “Goodbye--’til next we meet!”

Now, as one could easily predict,
Or may already know,
This dumbstruck fellow wished to be
Julianne’s dear Romeo

And, as he said, they met again
In this town on sprawling cay
And though skies were fogged, with absent sun
Her radiance brightened the day

He pleaded her to walk with him
And she, pitying, agreed
For anyone so zealous in his pursuit
Should be rewarded somewhat, indeed

He led her to a pleasant meadow
With grasses green and flowers bright
They sat and stayed, all through the day
And even into the night

Julianne, so rapt with this strange fellow
Thought nothing of passing time
And so was horribly surprised
To hear the church bell chime
This loud and clanging racket
This obnoxious, yet pleasant din
Signified the arrival of midnight
Calling all late stragglers in

With an awkward start, up she leapt
Landing, amazingly, on her feet
And the strange young fellow grinned again
And called, “’Til next we meet!”

These words were proven true once more
In morn, together they walked
Trading tales of life--of triumph and strife
For hours they laughed and talked

And in the afternoon, they passed
The mansion she called home
With immaculate structure, and grand, cream-colored
Pillars, in the style of Rome

It was here he left her, and continued on
His merry way, alone
But that very night, would return again
To the stately, lavish home

She, attired in fine, silk robes
Retiring for the night
Suddenly was startled by strange noise--
Happy, loud, and bright

A voice was drifting though, it seemed,
Her open bedroom door
(Wafting, in actuality, through the window
With lovely, sweet allure)

She ran, excited, to it,
And was instantly enthralled
Standing ‘neath a grand oak tree
Was her fellow, proud and tall!

And in his lap was a guitar
An old and dented thing
It mattered not, for this determined boy
Played beautifully and did sing--

“O, Julianne, O Julianne,
How lucky I must be!
To behold such pure, fantastic beauty
Is undeserved by me!

“O Julianne, O Julianne,
It is you that I desire,
Though surely you have suitors,
All with passion warm as fire

“O Julianne, O Julianne,
Perhaps I hope too much,
But I wish to be your doting beau--
You’ve got me in your clutch!

“O Julianne, O Julianne,
Thy love I must posses!
Though words I spew, emotions true
My speech cannot express!

“O Julianne, my Julianne,
My life, I do decree,
Would be complete, if you’d agree
When asked to marry me!”

Julianne was struck speechless
By her suitor’s boldness
But greeted him at her home’s door
With warmth, not startled coldness




And though this night they shan’t be wed,
Her love for him did grow
For each and every night she heard
His song, ‘neath her window

Mere days had passed when Julianne,
So smitten with this man,
Greeted him happily at her door
And offered him her hand

Quite promptly they were wed
Indeed, supremely fast!
By Wednesday they were man and wife
Three days had hardly passed!

And though their lives had settled some
And wedding bells did clang
Faithfully, each and every night
To her, this fellow sang--

“O, Julianne, O Julianne,
How lucky I must be!
To behold such pure, fantastic beauty
Is undeserved by me!

“O Julianne, O Julianne,
My heart--my soul--my life!
The Gods themselves I praise each day
For having you, fair wife!

“O Julianne, O Julianne,
How happy we shall be!
For if I shall always have my darling,
Then forever will she have me!”

For years the two remained,
Learning, loving, living
Together, happily forever
No troubling worries giving

Decades passed but still they two
Were very much in love,
Though Julianne’s outer beauty had somewhat dissolved,
He felt blessed, still, by power above

They two, the wrinkled lovers
Took everything in stride
Though withered outside, were kept youthful
On their smiling, gay insides

Though wrinkles wrought his sagging faces
Blind spots clouded his eyes
This well-aged fellow still thought his love
More beautiful than the skies

And so, still each and every night,
Her ears he did entrance
And though his voice was cracked and old
Still, singing he gave a chance--

“O Julianne, O Julianne,
Thy love as sweet as roses,
That gives me meaning, answers all
The questions that life poses

“O Julianne, my Julianne,
Through years our love is strong!
I do not think, at our first meet
T’was expected to last this long!

“O Julianne, my Julianne,
Without you I’d be lost,
I’ll keep you with me, dearest treasure
Through all, despite the cost!”




Triumphantly, these words proclaimed
And Julianne was spellbound still
Despite the frequency of his song
Its allure time could not kill

But as they do, years passed and passed
Despite wealth and brain and brawn
And, following enough of these
Dear Julianne was gone

She’d passed away quite peacefully
Asleep beside her love
Her breath had ceased quiet quietly
Soft as coos of timid dove

A funeral in her honor
Was held the following week
And at this service was her fellow
To no one did he speak

But this grieving man the various guests
Decided to let alone
And so, they left him standing there
Over her--her flesh and bone

The night had fallen, the moon was up
And resting in the sky
Down at this fellow it idly glanced
With a mildly curious eye

And suddenly its excitement grew
Though no words of surprise were spoken
From out his coat this widower
Had produced some small token

Of change to come, this was blatant,
For shining ‘neath the stars,
And gleaming in the white moonlight
A battered, old guitar

The well-aged man, fellow no more
Slowly raised his prize
And, with no witness but the moonlight
Lifted his solemn guise

His blue eyes watered but still he tried
Tradition always kept
To supply a wife, though she heard not
(And here he fully wept)

To supply his dearest, darling wife
With comforting, beautiful sound
Despite her state, her deafness caused
From rest beneath the ground--

“O, Julianne, O Julianne,
How lucky I must be!
To behold such pure, fantastic beauty
Is undeserved by me!

“O, Julianne, my Julianne,
You’ve left me on my own
O, darling, how can I survive
So tragically alone?

“O, Julianne, my Julianne,
Without you I am lost,
I’ll keep you with me, dearest treasure
Through all, despite the cost!

“O Julianne, my Julianne!”
(And here he paused to cry)
“I swear, my love, by this great God,
Who sleeps in our night sky




“That, Julianne, my Julianne,
Together we shall be,
For tonight I vow to join you,
In rest, eternally!”

He wiped the last of tears away
Guitar he flung aside,
And shoes, removed, and thrown askew
Black robes removed, untied

And poised, and ready, he stood erect
Before the uncovered tomb
Gazing at coffin--which appeared cozy
As child in mother’s womb

Without delay he hobbled close,
And leapt into the mouth
Of grinning grave, and soon began
To plummet, far down south

And he, crippled, cut, and bloodied
Barely clinging onto life
Gave one last cry of “Julianne”
And went to meet his wife