My First Love Was My First Cousin

Have you ever had an innocent crush on one of your relatives?

When I was a kid, there were a few times that my cousins from Boston would come down to North Carolina and spend the summer with our extended family. Usually, it was just Melissa and David (not their real names).

One summer their older sister, Kristen (not her real name either), came with them. Melissa and David were close to my age, but Kristen had already graduated from high school. I don’t think she was aware of this but I crushed on her pretty hard.

The following is loosely based on that true story. The ages and dates may not be correct, but the sentiments are true. It’s one of my coming-of-age tales of love and innocence.

My first love was my first cousin
She was 19, I was nearly a dozen
The birds started singin’ and the bees started buzzin’
My first love was my first cousin

I met her at my Granny’s back in ’79
She came from Boston for the summertime
The way she looked at me made the stars align
I knew we were related but her beauty made me blind

I went over to my Granny’s house every day
We played kickball on the Carolina clay
She was up for anything I wanted to play
When my parents came for me I always wanted to stay

Summer was over she got ready to leave
My sadness turned to anger, I could hardly believe
What she told me that day, I’d been so naive
She had a boyfriend back home, and his name was Steve

When an adolescent boy, almost 13
Meets the prettiest girl, he has ever seen
He doesn’t need to be judged, doesn’t need to be hated
It’s not his fault that his first love was related

My first love was my first cousin
She was 19, I was nearly a dozen
The birds started singin’ and the bees started buzzin’
My first love was my first cousin

© Michael J. Hollifield 2021

Related posts:

Lilo and Stitch celebrated the twentieth anniversary of its United States theatrical release last year. Director Chris Sanders and nostalgic fans reflected on the film’s celebration of sisterly love…

We have a misguided image of capitalism is in our minds. In fact, capitalism is not about the exchange of goods or expanding communication networks. There are certain market imperatives needed such…

Over the last year we’ve all felt like Charles. We’ve found a routine in being a homebody that, more or less, can get us through one day and on to the next. A routine wear dressing for work means…