My Child

When you have your own kids, your entire world changes.

Birthing pangs, fast and steady

You are about to join the world,

Bite down with unbearable pain,

Doctors waiting on the other end

For your arrival,

Twenty-four hours have passed,

Now I just want to get up and leave,

this place they call peace and safety,

Oh no, not for a mother waiting for their child,

To enter into this world,

One more push and out you come,

They take you to a place I can not see,

All I was to is to see your face,

Look at your toes,

Smell you, hold you, love you,

Then they bring you around,

In a blanket, they put you down on my chest,

As you take my breath away,

Watching you look around,

So small, so little are your toes,

I hold you near hoping that this time will never end,

then they take you away,

Father follows, guarding his daughter,

Poking you with needles, and they say

Would you like to give her a bath?

Proud father, filled with over-whelming joy,

He can not contain his emotions as he wets your head,

Taking off the after birth,

Putting you in little clothes that are too big,

That would fit a doll,

And now you've grown,

You are so big,

I remembered the time when you asked me to buy you crayons,

And now you are ready to leave,

To a new place,

Your room will be empty as well as my heart,

Each time I pass and try not to cry,

I hope I loved you enough, held you close, taught you about life...

I hope that you will remember when we both swang of the swing set,

Smiling as if there was no other purpose in life but to be with you,

I hope you always remember how much I love you.

Author's Note

For Candace

Reviews

[Blackbirdsong]

There are some wonderful moments in this lovely tribute to motherhood, fatherhood and babyhood. :)

[Sean Allen]

This is just how it was with my daughter and now she is expecting next month. I expect to relive my experiences with her as we visit her and the new baby in the hospital.

[Wildecat]

This is a beautiful tribute to Candace, a definite pleasure to read your poetry. Hope you are having a nice day and enjoying the snow lol

[emmajoy]

I'm waiting to feel all this.. to share all this..

What a wonderful poem, so full of love and truth and everlasting emotions.

You've no idea how much i've learned in reading your poem..