R.E.M.
Monster

Theme: "First love is never forgotten."

Development.
Dear teacher, I remember my first love well. I remember my first CD well, oh how young we were, dear teacher! Back then the sun was shining, and all around spring was blossoming. I remember that strange movie well, the one with many gay guys, and I remember Gus Van Sant and that house that fell to pieces, and it impressed me every time.
The song said "What's the frequency, Kenneth? It's your benzedrine, uh, uh!" and I sang that "uh uh" on the streets, I was Kenneth, yes, yes, I was Kenneth and I sang "uh! uh!" to everyone who passed by.
I remember Cobain, and how sorry I was, but seriously, though no one seemed interested, and I felt so alone.
Dear teacher, I don't know if this is what you meant in the prompt, but it reminds me of this. It reminds me of 1994, and River Phoenix, that beautiful and damned one. And yes, he was really beautiful, damned I don't know, I never understood. He died too, you know, teacher? He was so young that when he died I cried a lot but I didn't understand.
Then, when I understood, I loved life more than before.
But above all "the first love" reminds me of "Monster" by R.E.M., that strange album that made me jump every time, but also made me so sad, and I don't know why, sorry teacher.
Maybe I went off-topic, teacher. But I don't care, give me a failing grade, but "Monster" was dedicated to River Phoenix, and I was happy, because that was my first love in cinema. And I remember Cobain (do you know, dear teacher, that "Come As You Are" was my strummed song on the guitar? Even that was a kind of first love?) and I remember when the poor thing died, and "Let Me In" was dedicated to him, and I always got emotional because it was such a beautiful song, you know, teacher? "All the little birds are looking at me and laughing at me, I move so clumsily out of my skin, but let me in you." I used to like to imagine my funeral and everyone crying and listening to "Let Me In": it made me feel good. I remember that girl, I once wrote to her "you will be mine, all the times" but she wasn't mine, you know, teacher? I copied it from "Strange Currencies" but I never told her, I pretended it was mine, it was such a beautiful phrase. Now I would tell her it's not mine, but it's too late.
I remember that wasn't the first R.E.M. album, I had another one too, it was called "Automatic For The People" but there were all these sad songs and my friends always made fun of me. Then time passes and changes us so much, and now it's my favorite. How strange life is, eh, dear teacher? But "Monster" was the first one I adored because it was so right for me, all those guitars that drove me crazy and that song, "Bang and Blame" that made me jump and grab my mom's broom and twirl it in the air like a guitar I'd pretend to be a rockstar.

Is this what you would call "first love," teacher? I don't know, but I kind of believe it.
I believe River Phoenix's favorite would have been "I Don't Sleep, I Dream" with that so light falsetto that every time it felt like walking on air. "You said you would let me lay but touch me down, down." Oops, I don't know if I can write this in the essay, sorry teacher! I just wanted to tell you that "I Don't Sleep, I Dream" was also my favorite.
And I also liked "You" and "Tongue" because they were so sensual, and I liked feeling sensual while listening to them. And then Michael Stipe (he's the singer, teacher!) seemed so sincere, and I've always liked sincere people. And those melodies were so well-made that I always played them again. When you play a song again every time I think it’s love. When you play it for the first time, it’s first love.
Well, this is my first love. And I know, teacher, that maybe it's all a mess, but I just wanted to make you understand that the prompt is wrong. There’s no such thing as first love, teacher. There are many, many first loves, and I didn’t know how to make you understand that.