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