KMI Poem by Margaret from Venice

"KMI Poem"
by
Margaret from Venice

Listen my children and you shall hear,

of the most trying season of the year.

It was Nineteen hundred and thirty-one,

that Venice girls trouble first begun.

A group of men from the State of Kentucky,

came to Florida, now wasn't that lucky.

They said "this is the place for our school to be"

and that is how they built KMI, you see.

They decided to leave all their ice and snow,

to their new school in Venice, they'd all go.

The cadets hit town with a mighty cheer,

and ever since then, they've come back each year.

And now about the first of each January,

moms warn their daughters to watch and be wary,

of those KMI's who then come down,

to "liven up" our dull little town.

But as those good looking guys file off the train,

vows of "no cadets" go down the drain.

For who can resist their sweet talking line,

and that shy little wink, and cute slow grin?

The beach is a great place to a KMI,

and girls too now, I wonder why?

They spend all their time there to get a tan,

so do the girls, but their out for a man.

Now speaking from my own experience,

a KMI's just a damn nuisance.

At First he'll seem just nice as can be,

but when he gets you alone, good gracious me!

He tries to rush things and when you resist,

he says "But what's wrong with a kiss."

So often the battle go on for a while,

you finally give up and he says with a smile,

"Don't worry baby, I'd never hurt you"

and he says that he will always be true.

He's so sweet and sincere and the look in his eye,

you forget all the warnings about KMIs.

Your are up in the clouds for a day or two,

but when he doesn't call, oh what will you do?

You tell yourself what a fool you've been,

that you've wised up now, it won't happen again.

But then in a couple of days, when again you meet,

He says "I'm sorry honey, but I've been on the beet,

and with guard and stoop and tests and all

I just never got a chance to call."

You feel like a heel, you've misjudged him completely,

"Why that all right dear," you say, oh, so sweetly.

And if you smile a lot, and play your cars right,

He'll ask you out for next Saturday night.

You beg your dad for the use of the car,

you promise to be careful and not go far.

With much hesitation, he finally gives in.

You forgot to say, you'll be at the drive in.

Now for cadets this is quite illegal to do.

So you meet him at some secret rendezvous.

He signs out for the movie (which is really no lie),

and when you're safely away, he lets out a sigh.

For walking that beet's not very much fun,

with a heavy old rifle and the blazing hot sun.

And if he gets caught its 25 PTs,

but they don't care and slip out with ease.

You have to leave in the midst of the show,

that 9:30 curfew has got to blow!

You drive up as the bugle is playing CQ,

he leaves with a quick kiss and a swift "I love you."

By this time you're really mad for the guy.

Why does he have to go to KMI?

You know it will end up like all the rest,

but you go blindly on, and hope for the best.

The next few weeks are full of wild times,

if Col. Richmond, only knew of their crimes.

You've got fun filled memories attached to each,

like the birthday party at Casperson's beach.

Your romance goes on till March thirty-first,

then of all the heart aches, this one's the worst.

It's the time when you have to tell him good buy,

with a brave little smile and a tear in your eye.

You cling to the memories and live in the past,

till you get his precious letter, at last!

He writes how he loves you and loves you still,

you write back you love him too, and always will.

But the letters get fewer and further between,

your young love doesn't last when you're just seventeen.

On day he writes that there is someone new,

and right then your world seems to end for you.

But time heals the heart breaks and memories grow dim,

you can even smile now when you think of him.

The days and the months just seem to fly by,

and you look forward to next year's KMIs.

And now that you've heard what I have to tell

don't think that I'm bitter, it's just that, well,

I've been through this with many a guy,

but I still love each and every KMI.

Margaret from Venice

Kentucky Military Institute
www.kmialumni.org
Send e-mail to: kmimail@kmialumni.org