What Happened to Julie

Poetry

I don’t think you remember her name — or do you?

It’s been so long, and each day has taken us away.

She was in all the newspapers and on all the stations;

she might have even been on a milk carton or two.

But we didn’t talk about her because of her fame, oh no.

It was the missing that did it, the disappearing.

No girl just vanishes like that with no trace of her.

Not a hair, not a speck of blood — like I said, no trace.

But were you too young? Maybe, it’s hard to say.

She might have been in your class, now that I think it.

Do you remember little Julie Halloway before she got gone?

They searched and they searched,

morning till night, dawn to dusk,

but she wouldn’t be found, poor girl.

Your papa and I thought she was ‘napped,

and we drew you closer and closer

till you were positively sick of us,

lashing out at us like a feral cat.

Do you remember that? It seems so long ago.