Touched By The Stars Poem by Gillian M Hart

Touched by the Stars
A girl told her best friend
Excitedly
"I am going to be
On TV! "
Then seeing the look
Of jealousy
She added, teasingly,
"I can bring a friend with me.
"Now who shall it be? "
Her friend said,
"What about me? "
"Oh you silly cow!
I'd as you first
Anyhow! "
"Thanks mate. It will be
A day we won't forget."

The Great Day came.
On a train they did go
To a famous London studio.
They thought about the people
Who would see them
On the popular music show.
Unforgettable it would be,
But not for reasons they could forsee.

"Silly girls! " The producer sneered.
"You don't know how lucky you are,
To be touched by a star!
‘He touched me up.'
You say to me.
It's just your teenage fantasy."

At school they talked about
The fun they had,
Proudly showing the souvenirs
Supplied in goody bags.
They kept silent
About other things
What if people
Called them slags?
News could spread
Across the nation
Ruining those girls
Reputations.

At 16 or so
The girls left school.
And started work
In a typing pool
Once they had wanted to be
Stars on TV.
Now it was their ambition
To be top secretaries.

They dated guys
They fell in love.
Then one day, one said
With great glee,
"My fella has
Proposed to me! "

The years passed by
The friends got married.
They became mums.
The children grew
As they do.

On day, a girl said
"Guess what, Mummy!
My school will be
On the Telly! "
"No Way! "
"They are making
A documentary."

The mother tried
To forget the past.
It would not just be
Two young girls alone.
There would be teachers
To chaperone.

A few months later the family watched
The show about the comprehensive school
The daughter blushed as her dad, said
"Hey man! That's cool! "
He continued
"Mum was on TV, but she does not brag."
"Really? "
"It's true. They gave me a goody bag."

One day the mother, confided in
Her friend'
"Things have not been the same,
Since that show about the school.
My once well-behaved daughter, is no more.
She was caught writing graffiti -
ANARCHY RULES!
"My son is withdrawn and sullen, " replied her friend.
"At firsts, I just thought, he was shy,
Because he did not want to see
Himself on TV.
But when he found we had it on Video,
He watched - but I could tell -
He really seemed to hate
The show."

Soon stories of abuse
Were reported in the news.
What was not shown on TV
Was a secret party
Where a student from each form,
Whose name was drawn by lots,
Was chosen to meet
A secret celebrity.

The TV company had to
Apologize
Very publicly.
Oh how those in charge.
Must have resented this!
How dare those cussed kids complain!
And as for others' crawling out of
The woodwork.
What had they to gain?

The company had done their best
To protect their precious assets,
Relying on fear and silence -
You can bet.