The first Valentine

Captain Valentino, a man of brave heart
,
Was called to great service in lands far apart

From his lady Romancia whom he had plans to wed,
And he knew this news will upset her but he said,
"My darling, Romancia, my country has requested

That I take care of matters in which it has invested.
"What crazy and stupid notions fill your head?

Do you forget it's almost time for us to wed?"

'This can wait, my dear lady until my return
There's no need for my Romancia to mourn
I am bound in service to honor my king.
I will from far lands a red rose for you bring-.
Romancia entreated him with pleas and with tears,
but it seemed as if her words fell on deaf ears.
Then they said their goodbyes und the ship sailed away, "
May the God of the sea keep him safe," Romancia prayed.
And he wrote her love letters from across the high seas

And little love gifts attempting her senses to please

She put under her pillow the love notes that she read,
And their words filled her dreams as she slept in her bed.
The ship sailed on and on to strange, distant shores.

Romancia wondered if she’d see Valentino once more.
Valentino decided to sail home one day,
And  O how Romancia was happy and gay,
And she plucked a large bouquet of roses so white
Which she hoped to give to her lover that night

Then a freak storm arose with fierce winds and thunder
That fain would rend the small ship asunder.
And the stinging rain fell and eerie lightning flashed.
And the waves across the ships decks crashed.
And all the townspeople grew afraid and they ran
To the shores to lend a helping hand.
Romancia, bouquet in hands, a prayer on her lips.
Ran too, fearing for Valentino as well as the ship.

The ship came in sight all battered and torn
The sailors all looked so ragged and worn.
Cold, disheartened and hungry and lashed by the rain
They boarded the lone lifeboat that remained
The boat was crowded and no one else could fit
No room, no space for a body to sit.
Captain Valentino shouted to his men, “row
ashore!”
They loathed to leave him but could do no more.

The townspeople hoped they’d make it across the rough waves
And return Captain Valentino to save.
But the waves were murderous an the little ship dashed
On the rocks with a sigh and a groan she did crash.
A cry and a wailing rose up from the crowd.
Romancia’s, there was none other as loud.
As the ship descended to the bottom of the deep
The captain, her friend and her lover to keep.


Then on the water she spotted something red
And she remembered the words Valentino had said.
And she tossed a white rose from the bouquet she had
And it floated to meet the red one-O so sad.
Then the waters grew calm and the roses sailed away
And they sailed on and on and down to our day.
And that is the story of the red and the white
And how they started the first Valentines’ night!!