Chocolate,
Like the eyes that declare he is mine
The tan he gets from his father
The freckles from his Irish forebears.
I must bake a cake today
With whipped frosting,
Like the curls he sometimes curses
Blames me for their presence
Yet he bows to let me kiss them in passing.
I must bake a cake today
Sweet, with extra chips
Like his heart, empathetic to a fault
A sharp contrast to his practical mind
Still struggling with life's inconsistencies.
I must bake a cake today
With nineteen candles
One for each year of growing
And learning, and teaching us
How to live and love even more.
Very nice, Hard to believe he is already 19. Love Ya, Dad.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? It went by in a flash!
DeleteThis is exquisite! I could feel your love in every line. This could be published. Happy Birthday to your son!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathleen! He'll probably think it's too mushy. But a mother's love is exactly that, isn't it?
DeleteLove it! Spoken straight from a Mother's heart!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to your teenboy!!
(from Bindu)
DeleteThank you, Bindu!
DeleteBirthday cakes can be a cliche, but not the way you handle the one in this poem. Happy celebrating!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Cake is baked and cooling as I type. Love that young man!
DeleteI love your poem, Chris! It's so full of a mother's love.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Alice! He's a wonderful kid to love.
Delete