Dedicated to a girl I hardly know

I was 16 yrs old in 1955. Our family had moved to Houston and I was once again starting in a new school. I was in the 11th grade at Reagan Sr. High. I had met one person , Ronnie Spiller , who was in the same situation. We were both new to the area. Every day I would go to school and see this same girl in the halls. She had long black hair, a slim dancers body, blue eyes, didn't wear make up but was simply breath- takingly beautiful. When she moved It was poetry in motion. Every time I saw her my knees would buckle and I would look at her with an intense longing. Yes, I really had it bad. I couldn't bring myself to say anything to her. One day there were a group of students milling around at the bottom of the stairs. I wandered up to see what was going on. It was the "girl in the hall". She was sitting on the floor rubbing her ankle and crying. She had twisted her ankle walking down the stairs. Oh Man! What an opportunity. I asked would you like to go to the Nurses office. She said yes. I reached down and picked her up. I carried her up the stairs and took her to the Nurses Office. I tried to talk to her ,but I could tell she was in a lot of pain so I left her there with the Nurse. I asked her if I could take her home after school ,but she said her Mother always picked her up. A couple of days later I saw her again.She hadn't been in school and was hobbling on crutches. When I saw her I grabbed her books and walked her to her class. I asked her for a date. She said Her parents didn't let her date ,but they would let her bring someone to church. The only catch was I had to bring a friend for her girl friend. Instantly I thought of Ronnie! I begged I pleaded! To no avail. He didn't want to go to this particular church. His Mother went there and I didn't know what I was getting myself into. He tried to warn me. He finally relented and we went to pick the two girls up. Actually we walked up to the church and met them in front and walked into the church. I was brought up as a Southern Baptist and figured I could handle anything this church threw at me plus I was getting to be with "the girl in the hall "(i still didn't know her name.) Boy! was I wrong. People were falling down, shaking, talking in tongues , being healed. then the whole congregation started running around with their hands raised shouting. And guess who the "sinner" was they were trying to save. Uh Huh it was me! Ronnie knew the drill and answered all the questions right, but I stood there not knowing the answers and discovered to my horror that I was on the road to "hell fire" and "damnation" I did the only sensible thing I could do. I ran. Out the church all the way home. Ronnie came by later laughing his head off. The church didn't believe in cutting their hair, shaving their legs, wearing makeup, listening to the radio, watching TV ,dancing,anything of a "sinful"nature. Can you see where I am going here? After that episode whenever I saw "the girl in the hall" I always went the other way. I never did find out her name. Sometimes though when it's late at night and I can't sleep I think of her and wonder. So this is why I wrote:


Dedicated to a Girl I hardly know
by kenny merrell

She was walking down the hall
As I glanced to see her there
Next on the stairs
The sunlight in her hair
From a window
Shinning through A halo
It Lights up her face
No make up Hair tousled
Youth with all its grace
She stops and turns
A statue
On a pedestal
Now marked in time
On nights When sleep evades me
I see her standing in my mind
Oh to go back and speak
Just to ask her name
Or in heaven’s glory
What else did she attain
Did she grow up in maturity
Marry, have children of her own
Become aged and wrinkled
Have dreams of love unborn
In memory I send this missive
I miss her even though
This is dedicated to a girl
A girl I hardly know