Rommy Hears a Who

“Do you want
to travel through time and space?
Do you want
to see the stars?”
she asked.

My time travel needs were modest.
Back a year,
back to my old grade school
would have been enough.

“Have you seen
a sonic screwdriver?
Have you seen
a flying police box?”

Seen, no.
TV at home never
tended towards the fantastical.

Mom had her telenovelas.
Dad, his deportes. 
And sometimes we had sitcoms.

I had experienced traveling
on the printed word
to Narnia, Ithaca,
and yes, to Great Britain.

But I travelled alone
an odd bookish brown duck
used to floating
across imaginary ponds.

“Do you want to travel together?
Do you want to meet the Doctor?”

“Who?”

We turned to local PBS channel.
I didn’t mind the odd effects
and the villains
that looked like militant pepper shakers.

I traveled
with a companion that afternoon
and later, several other times
by myself

to the present
when my children were big enough
so I could ask them,

“Do you want
to travel through time and space?
Do you want
to see the stars?”

You never forget your first doctor




This poem was created for Poets and Storytellers United's Weekly Scribblings prompt, Meme Madness. 

48 comments:

  1. My first Doctor was the first Doctor, who almost immediately became my (then) husband's first Doctor. Our kids came on board during John Pertwee's reign. But we all loved Tom Baker's Doctor best, and the intrepid Sarah Jane Smith will always be my favourite companion.
    So yes, my sons and their father loved the Doctor because I loved the Doctor, and I (still) love the Doctor because some of my work colleagues loved the Doctor....

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    1. PS I so love 'militant pepper shakers'!

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    2. Everyone from my generation seems to have started with Tom Baker, but I was late to the party. I know there are streaming services to catch up on vintage Who. I just need to set aside some time to find them.

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  2. Just saw an episode of the very popular (at one time) Red Skelton (comedy) show & my (long deceased) grandmother was instantly resurrected. Thanks, Rommy.

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    1. Anytime I see a Spanish variety show, memories of one of my aunts comes up.

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  3. I saw the very first episode of Doctor Who, when William Hartnell was the Doctor; I was seven years old and everyone at school was talking about it. I loved it and watched it right up until I moved to Germany and missed almost eight years of it, sitting with Mum and my sisters to catch up when I came home to visit. I resumed my passion when I returned to the UK and have continued my love affair with the programme ever since. I love that you share this passion, Rommy!

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    1. As I said to Rosemary, at some point I want to backtrack and see the stuff I missed.

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  4. I would luv to be able to see a meteor shower, ah but i don't have the tools

    Muchđź–¤love

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  5. I too have viewed just about every Dr Who series and have ingrained permanently in my memory. I can remember my kids pretending to be Daleks when playing!

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  6. As a child born in the 40s, I missed out on Dr. Who! uTube here I come!

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  7. I'm so thankful that I had parents who were very much sci-fi watchers while I was growing up. I got to share Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Star Wars (among a host of other fun shows) with them. This Christmas we'll be opening the door for our eldest with Star Wars, A New Hope.

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    1. LOL, my parents have no love for "unrealistic" genres. I think I hatched from an egg sometimes. But it was cool to find someone who expanded my geek universe a little bit more.

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  8. I like the older Doctor Who. I mean a few Doctors ago, before he became popular in the US. The US tends to undo the best of shows. I still find the Weeping Angels the scariest things!

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    1. The Weeping Angels are definitely the scariest monsters of all!

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  9. I always confused Dalek with Dialect. I always thought they spoke funny, but they frightened me anyway. And the theme song can still give me shivers. Even it was new age... using a theremin, an instrument you play without actually touching it. It's amazing what and who can transport us.

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    1. Their accent threw me sometimes too. But I for sure knew they meant business when they shouted, "Exterminate!"

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  10. You are a good guide, I followed immediately to Dr. Who. But i never did watch even one episode. My first doctor was Dr. Lukens who delivered me at our home. Our garden had and excessive amount of potatoes that paid Dr. Lukens.
    I liked your reference to the "bookish brown duck" and would like to see it developed into Ă  ac story.
    ..

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    1. LOL, my pediatrician was a nice guy too as I recall

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  11. I smiling... remembering the first time I saw the Doctor and knowing how true these words are. You never forget your first, unless he wears a bow tie and is annoying as hell. If that's the case, then you just try to wipe him off your brain forever--oh, it doesn't work, the wiping. Just so you know.

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    1. ROTFL, Eric shares your assessment on the bow tie. I found him to be a bit exasperating as well.

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  12. Happy Sunday Rommy

    (✿◠‿◠)

    much love...

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  13. enjoyed this delightful read. your time travel needs were pretty modest.
    no, i am not too familiar with Dr. Who, and i am not too sure whether the series was televised here.

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    1. That's a good question. I really don't know. It wasn't prime time viewing here in the states, and sometimes it was very frustrating figuring out when it would be on.

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  14. Mary Poppins came to mind. The pepper shakers intrigued me.

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    1. I can see that. Mary Poppins is sometimes called a Time Lord too in some corners of the internet.

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  15. My son loves Doctor Who...and so we all fell in love with the doctor. :) Happy Sunday.

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    1. My whole family enjoys it, especially Darling Youngest

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  16. This made me so happy. :) Dr. Who was a family thing at our house (along with MST3K) & this reminded me of those nights. And that compilation video--perfection.

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    1. Yaaaaaaaaaaas, MST3K! Darling Eldest and I still bond over it when he gets a break from his college work.

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  17. Traveling on the printed word is a great advantage; sometimes even better when you're on a budget. I googled sonic screwdriver, and remembered that I forgot to remind myself that I've been wanting to watch Doctor Who forever.

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    1. And the library is even better for the budget minded word surfer, though I'd scrounge up money for those books I just had to own.

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  18. Unhbelievably, I've lived my entire very long life without ever having seen Dr. Who. Apparently I've missed something earth-shattering! I enjoyed your poem, Rommy.

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  19. I love Dr. Who - all of them. I saw the first episode and I was hooked. Even Brad who loved sci fi became addicted. Nope. You never forget your first Doctor. Enjoyed this poem so much!

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  20. I, too have never seen Dr. Who. I am assuming the picture is.....(clever poem line), but I dont think I would like to meet him. He looks weird. Is his boutonniere perhaps his lunch? I would only want to time travel forward, anyway.

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    1. LOL, he isn't the weirdest one. The Doctor "regenerates" when his body takes too much damage (aka a new actor steps in to take over the roll when the previous one gets into a brush with Death so close he can shake hands with it). That one is the 4th doctor, and yeah even I thought the parsley was strange back then (though I thought the Doctor was rather handsome). I agree that sometimes the past is not what it's all cracked up to be.

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  21. Shall I go back and search for Dr. Who? I have never seen it. Love that photo.

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