Mary Jo was an outstanding child,

She had freckles and red hair,

She was such a very pretty girl,

People often stopped and stared,

 

She was tiny for her age.

Cute as a button, too,

She was happy with her hair,

But her freckles made her blue.

 

Those funny, little red spots,

Strewn and splattered here and there,

She could not help but see them,

When she looked into a mirror.

 

Sometimes she tried to wash them off,

She'd scrub real hard; used elbow grease,

But all that scrubbing did no good,

Their count did not decrease.

 

Oh my no ... they stayed the same,

To become less was not to be,

And when Mary Jo began to grow,

So did the freckles, too, it seemed.

 

Often kids at school were cruel,

They teased and taunted Mary Jo,

Which made her face grow redder,

And made more freckles show.

 

Sometimes she'd go home and cry,

The child was so distraught,

"Why me, Mommy?" she would ask,

"How come I have these spots?"

 

Most mothers are very wise,

And Mary Jo's was no exception,

She took her daughter on her lap,

And squeezed her with affection.

 

Then, with a magnifying mirror,

Her Mom said, "Honey, take a look,

Something you're about to see,

You'll not find in any book."

 

"They're just bigger now," cried Mary Jo,

Still feeling quite disturbed,

"Sweetheart, take a better look."

Her Mother gently urged.

 

"Don't you see the heart shapes

Of those tiny reddish dots?

Precious angel kisses,

Make those pretty beauty-spots.

 

Mary Jo looked carefully,

She scanned each inch of skin,

At first she just looked puzzled,

But then she soon began to grin.

 

"But, why so many kisses, Mommy,

Don't you think a few would do?"

"Well, honey, I guess there must be lots

Of precious angels loving you."

 

The next day in the school yard,

When the kids began to tease,

Mary Jo held her head high,

As if proud and very pleased.

 

She pointed to her freckles,

"Angel kisses," the child beamed,

Her surprised classmates ooh'd and aah'd,

They didn't know that's what they'd seen.

 

They wanted angel kisses, too.

And they wanted them to show..

 

The next day they all came to school,

With big, red dots upon each face,

Mommy's lipsticks put to work,

Angel kisses ... all in place.

 

Well, the kids lost theirs with soap and water,

Though Mary Jo's, of course, remained,

She wore each as a badge of honor,

And never again was she ashamed.

 

By the time she reached adulthood,

Her freckles had faded away,

But Mary Jo's angel kisses,

Were with her the rest of her days.

 

Virginia (Ginny) Ellis