A FEW THINGS I KNOW ABOUT YOU NOW, KIDDO
– for Oliver
Fresher
Than a gentle breeze at dawn
You gift the days a first year
Seeing with eyes of wonder
From the soul of youth
Walks me along the path I followed
Into a future brighter for your light
Looking
Around every corner for adventure
Found on crawling up the stairs
Or papoosed on a hike with Mom and Dad
At White Rock Lake
Then with those first steps
Set on your way across the room
And into open arms for a hug
Sparkly
Your smile that says I love you
Melts my already warmed heart
Just laying eyes on you
Frees something inside
To be more of what God made me for
Marveling at your fire
Kindness
In the backyard on a play day
You show to Ollie patting her hair
With giggles given as well as received
Makes a friend by reaching out
To another you know to be ready
By listening to your heart
And where it leads
Happy
To clap at your own applause
Join in the fun you are
Simply being yourself
A joy boy who brings joy
In a bottomless bucket
Poured out generously
On those smacking their hands
Together over sheer delight
Of knowing you
Sprout
You grow faster than grass
Surer than the rising and setting sun
Clearer than a blue sky
All the way to the horizon
And somehow the more
You become a young sapling
With good & strong roots
The younger your Opa feels
BIAS
listen to the wind
and not words
quit reading this
even poetry
is propaganda
but if you haven’t
which is harder
to gaze upon
a texas redneck
plainly itching
to break mine
or a california tesla
owner logo cap
smugly affixed
above black tights
it’s all enough
to forfeit enough
to stand at the morning
with birdsong
overturns
tyrants and liberals
in solidarity
with the boy or girl
who first let you know
you were alive
refuse warfare
like you once did
walk toward el dorado
without getting there
ever closer
closer still
making yesterday
a shadow
in the forest
awaits all along
in the quiet
one by one
reimagining everything
a papery beam
enough
it has to be
for a few rebels
must delve this far