❤️ First Love & Young Hearts
Where butterflies first learned to fly.
FIRST BUTTERFLIES
The Story Behind This Poem
Every heart has a beginning. Mine began in the third grade.
This song isn't about a great romance. It isn't about heartbreak. It's about the very first time my young heart realized someone could make butterflies appear out of nowhere.
To an adult, it might seem small.
To a third grader...
It was everything.
I was nervous. Awkward. Completely unsure of myself. I had no idea how to tell her how I felt, and I'm pretty sure she didn't know what to do either.
Life eventually carried us in different directions, but one wonderful thing remained...
We're still friends.
Looking back now, I smile because that little boy had no idea he was experiencing something he would remember for the rest of his life.
First love doesn't have to last forever to matter.
Sometimes its greatest gift is simply showing us that our hearts are capable of loving at all.
— Mark Stracener
First Love
You can never forget
That first feeling of young love in your heart.
That very first fluttering of butterflies...
The very first time it tore you apart.
It was all you could think about.
And when you saw her coming near,
You'd lose all self-control,
Searching to find your voice.
You really hoped she felt the same way,
But didn't know how to tell her how you felt inside.
More than likely she felt the very same,
Yet you both found places to run and hide.
You just knew this feeling was different
From anything you'd ever known before.
And that first time, you were completely clueless—
You had no idea what love had in store.
But those memories never really leave.
That first time love came out to play.
And somehow, after all these years,
You can still remember them today.
First loves are wonderfully unique,
When you're young and blissfully unaware.
You may travel a lifetime afterward...
But you never truly forget them.
You'll always remember.
You'll always care.
— Mark Stracener
🎵 Hear "The First Butterflies"
Close your eyes... and remember your own first butterflies.
The Bracelet
The Story Behind This Poem
There was a time when all it took to make a relationship official was a simple bracelet with your name engraved on it.
No social media.
No text messages.
No complicated definitions.
Just two kids deciding they were "going together."
Looking back now, I still smile because I don't think either of us really knew what that meant. We only knew it felt important.
That little bracelet didn't last very long.
Neither did our childhood romance.
But the memory...
That has lasted a lifetime.
Sometimes the smallest moments become the ones we treasure most.
The Bracelet
It was just something kids did back then.
It made everything official and true.
Everyone knew you were "going together,"
And that your young love was really true.
I went to a jewelry store,
Looking for just the right bracelet.
On it I wanted to engrave my name.
Then I'd give it to her to wear...
And nothing else would ever be the same.
First, I had to ask her
If she would "go with me."
Even now,
I'm not exactly sure what that meant.
But if she said yes...
My life would surely be heaven sent.
She would proudly wear that bracelet
With my name engraved for all to see.
And every boy in school
Would know...
She belonged with me.
Everyone would know
We were "going together."
Life would be great.
It probably lasted about six days...
Or maybe even eight.
I think I still have that bracelet.
It's obviously not on her wrist.
We probably held hands...
And we definitely never kissed.
Young love...
We've all lived through it.
And somehow...
We survived.
But those sweet, innocent moments
Still bring a sparkle to our lives.
— Mark Stracener
🎵 Hear "The Bracelet"
The Search
The Story Behind This Poem
There comes a time in almost every young man's life when he begins to wonder what his future will look like.
For me, that season wasn't just about finding a career or deciding where to live. It was about wondering who I would spend my life with.
My father believed there was a practical path to follow—finish school, find a career, get married, and build a life. It was good advice, and it came from a place of love.
But I inherited my mother's heart.
I wasn't simply looking for a wife.
I was looking for someone who would make my heart feel at home.
Along the way, I met some wonderful young women. Some relationships lasted only a short time. Others left memories I'll always treasure. Each one taught me something about love, about disappointment, about hope... and about myself.
Looking back now, I realize I wasn't just searching for the right person.
I was slowly becoming the right person.
Every friendship, every smile, every goodbye, and every lesson was quietly preparing me for the day I would finally meet the woman who would become my soulmate.
Sometimes life isn't about finding the destination as quickly as possible.
Sometimes the journey is exactly what prepares us for the life we've been praying for.
— Mark Stracener
The Search
My daddy always told me
College was for rich kids.
Finish school and find a career,
Then put away those childish whims.
Find a wife to call your own,
Build a family and a home.
Life is hard but if you plan,
You'll grow into a better man.
But I inherited my mother's heart,
And real love was still my dream.
I wasn't interested in his concrete plan,
I wanted life to gently unfold for me.
My mind was always thinking marriage
With every girl I'd meet.
I wondered if somewhere out there
The right one I'd eventually greet.
Some made me laugh,
Some made me cry.
Some came into my world
Then quietly said goodbye.
I found just how fragile a heart can be
When you place it into another's hands.
Sometimes love grows stronger,
Sometimes it changes all your plans.
Those were exciting years in a young man's life,
Searching for where he belonged.
Still believing somewhere out there
There was someone all along.
Looking back, I understand now
Why every road had to be.
Every heart that touched my life
Was quietly shaping me.
Before I found my soulmate,
Before I found my wife,
I had to travel love's long road...
To discover
The man
I wanted to be in this life.
— Mark Stracener
🎵 Hear "The Search"
Kiss Me In the Rain
The Story Behind This Poem
Some stories belong to us because we lived them.
Others belong to us because they deserve to be remembered.
"Kiss Me in the Rain" is one of those stories.
Although I never served in the military myself, I have always been deeply moved by the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who answer our nation's call—and by the families and loved ones who faithfully wait for them to come home.
This poem is my tribute to every young serviceman and servicewoman who counted the days until they could return home... and to every heart that counted those same days right along with them.
I imagine that unforgettable moment when two pairs of eyes meet again after months—or even years—apart. No words are needed. The waiting is over. The distance is gone. For just a little while, the rest of the world simply disappears.
Whether that reunion happened beneath an old oak tree, at an airport terminal, on a quiet front porch, or in the middle of a summer rainstorm, the emotions are the same. Love has endured. Hope has been rewarded. Home has finally arrived.
This song is dedicated to every military family who has lived that moment... and to those who still wait with hope in their hearts.
Thank you for your service.
Welcome home!
— Mark Stracener
KISS ME IN THE RAIN
They had been apart so long now.
She desperately needed to feel his touch.
She wanted to be with him forever.
She loved him oh so much.
When she finally got his letter
Saying he'd soon be coming home,
She counted down every minute.
The waiting was like nothing she'd ever known.
His letter told her
Exactly where to meet.
Down the gravel road where they first met.
Beneath the old oak tree.
She took care of every detail.
Her hair... his favorite yellow dress.
Nothing was too good for him,
Because her love she would confess.
She arrived at their special place early.
She simply couldn't wait.
But then she grew concerned
As the winds began to change.
The clouds came rolling in.
The sun slipped out of sight.
She vowed that nothing would spoil
Their long-awaited night.
The rain came pouring down,
Like the tears within her eyes.
This was supposed to be so perfect...
Then she saw his headlights.
It was him...
He was coming.
He was finally home
To begin their life.
She was ready for anything now...
Even to become his wife.
His car pulled slowly to a stop.
He stepped out into the rain.
She no longer cared about the storm.
To wait one minute longer
Would have been too much pain.
She opened her door
And ran into his arms.
He was finally home...
Safe...
And away from harm.
Taking her face into his hands,
He gently wiped away her tears.
Then smiling softly, he whispered,
"No longer should you worry.
No longer should you fear."
He said...
"Kiss me in the rain.
Not even a storm
Can stop our love.
Kiss me...
And feel the thunder
As your hand fits into mine
Like a glove.
Look deep into my loving eyes.
Feel my heart beating for you in my chest
Feel the warmth of my body
Just to finally touch you again...
Makes me feel blessed."
Then hand in hand they walked
To that special place beneath their tree.
Finally...
Together again.
Finally...
Free.
— Mark Stracener
🎵 Hear "Kiss Me In the Rain"
Growing Up
Every boy remembers the first time his heart skipped a beat.
The first butterflies.
The first bracelet.
The first dream about forever.
Somewhere along the way, those simple moments begin to change us.
Without realizing it, the little boy who only wanted to hold someone's hand slowly becomes a young man searching for something deeper—someone to build a life with.
That journey doesn't happen all at once.
It happens one smile...
One heartbreak...
One promise...
One lesson at a time.
The next chapter begins where youthful dreams meet adult realities.
The search for love is no longer about finding someone to walk home from school with.
It's about finding someone to walk beside for the rest of your life.
Every Chapter Matters
The search doesn't always end where we expect it to.
Sometimes love becomes a memory.
Sometimes it becomes a lesson.
Sometimes it becomes a lifelong friendship.
And sometimes... it becomes forever.