BONJOUR
By Vickie Williams

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Bonjour! Bonjour! Parlez-vous Français?

Her ivory skin and long flowing hair
Guided his steps and caught his stare.

A colored man,
A French woman,
Their hearts became true,
Yet considered unacceptable
During World War II.

Their love quickly flourished;
Their child came without a mistake;
But after the war, he could not bring them
To the United States.

He begged and pleaded.
She protested by cutting her hair.
No one listened.
No one cared.

Years went by.
They grieved about their crush.
He found another love,
Then they sadly lost touch.

Bonjour, hi, and goodbye…

Forever.

He knew the racist U.S. he fought for
Would not let them be…

Together.

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Vickie L. Williams is a playwright from northeast Ohio.  Her plays were staged for readings, workshops, and productions at Cleveland local theatres, in New York, and in Cambridge, Great Britain.  She is a Puffin Foundation and an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award recipient.  Vickie has earned a B.A. in communications and has contributed works to several anthologies.