Puritans and cell phones: The life of the first teenager from the Mayflower arriving at Plymouth Rock in 1620, texting back to her friends in England.
For creative and independent young girls, with encouragement
Before she even stepped off the Mayflower in December 1620, ending 66 days of bad weather and waves of salty loneliness, all the way from Southampton to the land of hope, Mary Chilton, the England gal — bright, young, and with-it, but also a frequent thorn in the eyes of stern Pilgrim elders — took out her black iPhone, her little prayer book, and typed in:
“WELCOME TO FACEBOOK? yeahhhhhhh! about bloody time!”
Always enthusiastic, the 13-year-old then pushed ahead, unwilling to wait in line, and jumped into the small boat with the first group of men. The older women on the ship all shook their head in disbelief: “Only 13 years old and jumping into a boat with the men? Unheard of. What have we done wrong? We clearly didn’t pray enough!” “No,” screeched one of the most pious of Puritan women, “we sailed on an old wine ship! Sinful from day one. It’s a miracle God didn’t make us even sicker than we already are.”
“WELCOME TO FACEBOOK? yeahhhhhhh! about bloody time!”
Always enthusiastic, the 13-year-old then pushed ahead, unwilling to wait in line, and jumped into the small boat with the first group of men. The older women on the ship all shook their head in disbelief: “Only 13 years old and jumping into a boat with the men? Unheard of. What have we done wrong? We clearly didn’t pray enough!” “No,” screeched one of the most pious of Puritan women, “we sailed on an old wine ship! Sinful from day one. It’s a miracle God didn’t make us even sicker than we already are.”
Shortly afterwards, before the very first group of men tried to step ashore, the England girl got so excited that she jumped out of the rickety old boat and waded ashore onto Plymouth Rock, trying to hold down her long black dress with her left hand, her right hand high up in the air, clutching her little iPhone prayer book, hanging on for dear life—after all, she had to tell all her friends back home about this strange new land they call America.
Of course, none of her friends back home would believe a word of all those unbelievable things that happen—once you step off the boat and explore a new world.
Henrik Eger
25 April 2009 and 9 November 2010
Addendum
Click here for information on the historical Mary Chilton
- This poem is copyrighted. If you are interested in publishing it or adapting it to music, film, etc., please contact the author.
