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State-of-the-art motorized assault battleship
She was Remco’s new Fighting Lady
Christmas 1960
I wanted her more than anything
First saw her, Saturday morning TV
Most beautiful woman I had ever seen
Complete with gun-tracking system
rotating pom poms
ash can depth charges
functional plane catapult, and a landing boat
Vividly imagined myself on her bridge
giving commands
steering her
through dangerous Japanese-infested waters
Her two-tone gray body
complete with U.S. Navy insignias
gave me goose bumps
as only a beautiful woman can do
Longed to possess her
Fill my out-of-control boyhood urge for control
Prayed Mom and Dad would approve
of my Christmas marriage to her
To my delight they did
Come Christmas Day, there she was
in her tan and red box, with a red bow
waiting for me under the Christmas tree
Eventually, other women caught my eye
but at nine, she was most special
To this day I wonder
whatever became of my Fighting Lady
This was THE ONE toy that I remember from all the Christmas’s of my childhood. Like you, it was all I wanted for Christmas and when I saw it there under the tree at 9 years old I was in heaven. I took it to my best friends (twin boys) who lived next door in an old farmhouse that had a play room specifically for just that – PLAY! They had gotten ROBOT COMANDO and the battles between my gray beauty and the robot were nothing short of a dream come true. I fired my forward cannon, sent ash can depth charges to the foot of the giant robot and even sacrificed my fighter plane by launching it at the geat behemoth. I will never forget that Christmas or that toy!
Thanks Kai.
really sweet
Polona: Thanks. I think you should have a race track. Why not???
lovely memoryand a beautiful poem.
i desperately wanted to have a race track as a kid but since i was a girl….
Thanks Aurora: Thank you. Both reasons for the poem.
Thanks Dan: I did not get a BB gun because I might shoot my eye out.
Another good one! I don’t remember her, though. Think I got a BB gun that year…
I enjoyed this poem both for the nostalgia and the descriptive elements.
Thanks Andrew. It’s probably a good thing they don’t. My boys don’t have any war toys either.
Floots: Thanks. So you wanted or had Fighting Lady? Wow. This ship was not for water, although I wanted it to be. Love your sense of humor. Brought a chuckle.
Amazing how we learn to want things so early in life. We become obsessed with what we want. It consumes us. The Fighting Lady was one of those early wants. Of course, seeing the toy on TV intensified my wanting.
me too
where is the aircraft carrier i played with in my bath
(no – that isn’t a euphemism) 🙂
cheers
I love this — brings back many memories for me. I miss my war toys, too. My kids don’t have anything as exciting as those were. 🙂