'Twas the fall of 1945

A joyful time to be alive.

The war was won and now we could

Get back to living as we should.

But our family had a way to go --

I was suffering from polio,

And my mother's brother had not come home --

He was 'missing in action,' his survival unknown.

On the day that my doctor called to say,

That I'd walk again and be OK,

My long-suffering mother,

Received a letter from her brother.

He had been a Japanese prisoner for,

3 ½ years, but was stateside once more!!

We both came home -- finally,

My uncle, with a trip to Miami,

The trip was expenses-paid for three,

So my uncle took my mother and me.

We gratefully left the snow and ice,

And made our way to paradise.

As the train pulled into the downtown station,

My heart was ablaze with anticipation,

Yet everything looked so stark and bare,

I couldn't believe that we were there.

We were met, and driven away,

But as we headed across the bay,

It became a much different story:

Miami Beach appeared in all its glory!

Soft waves were lapping at the shore

What magnificence -- who could ask for more!

My Mom and I realized right away,

That we were going to live here one day.

When we got home, without a doubt,

There was little else we could talk about.

So on dad's vacation, our family,

Took a trip to Miami.

One look

Was all it took

To convince my brother and dad tha we were right --

That living here would be a year-round delight.

In 1950 we moved away,

And came to Miami Beach to stay.

Our apartment on Ocean Drive was small,

Not like our Boston home at all,

But we loved it dearly,

Because we could see clearly,

The surf and sand across the street--

And living at the Amsterdam Palace was neat!

In 1950, the four of us came.

And later some relatives did the same.

Today, to entertain them all,

We'd need to rent a banquet hall.

Though I've traveled the world over, I still agree,

There's no place I'd rather live than in Miami!