I’m Awake!
I think I hear my mother call my name,
And so I roll my pillow on my head.
It’s morning once again, and who’s to blame?
Today I’ll just pretend that I am dead.
When mother takes the pillow from my face,
And pulls the blankets off to let me freeze,
I’m like a lump of glue that’s dried in place.
I think: Don’t blink, don’t move, don’t burp or sneeze.
But mother isn’t fooled as I fake death;
I must have played this game with her before.
That’s right, I did. I draw a sudden breath,
Remembering the water that she poured.
She poured it on my head, for goodness sake!
“I’m up! I’m up!” I call out, “I’m awake!”
Catching Frogs
I caught a frog and showed it to my dad;
My dad was quite impressed with what I’d done.
He said, “That’s quite a frog you caught–not bad!
Although I thought you might catch more than one.”
So I went back and caught another frog
And then another, and another more.
I caught a dozen in a little bog.
I caught a dozen in the pond next-door.
I put them safe inside then went back out
To see how many more that I could find.
I don’t know what the screaming was about;
I didn’t think that anyone would mind.
I guess my mother didn’t want to share
Her bathtub with the frogs I put in there.
Lullaby Blessing
Goodnight my son, may beauty fill your dreams
Remember through the night your mother’s kiss
Like gentle water flows through gentle streams
And gentle rain proceeds from gentle mists
Goodnight my son, may angels guard your peace
And may an angel always sing for you
And may the songs she sings make love increase
The love for one becomes the love for two
Goodnight my son, the child of my day
The joy that fills my heart and makes me smile
Goodnight my son, these final words I’ll say
Then leave you to your sleeping for a while
I wish that I could always hold you tight
And always wish your soul a sweet goodnight
Roly-Poly Puppies
Roly-Poly Puppies
The roly-poly puppies played all day
Inside the barn, five happy little whelps.
They rolled and wrestled through the stacks of hay.
(For puppies, having hay to roll in helps!)
One puppy liked to chew his brother’s face.
Two others played beneath their mother’s feet.
While yet another found a quiet place
To wait until the time had come to eat.
But one sad day the mother dog was killed
And all the puppies sat around and cried.
The barn with all their hungry cries was filled
With sorrow that the puppies could not hide.
For puppies need their mother’s constant care
And all they’ll do is sulk when she’s not there.
A Hug
A Hug
A hug is how you know a friend is real;
They wrap their arms around and pull you near.
And in that moment everything you feel
Is shared and there is nothing left to fear.
A hug can make the darkest day seem bright,
Or make a day already bright pure bliss.
A hug is like the dawn that ends the night,
And often its a prelude to a kiss.
Like home, a hug is comfortable and warm.
Like love, a hug is given full and free.
Like shelter from a fierce and raging storm
A hug is where the heart can safely be.
Like every mother kneels to hug her child,
A hug can make this wicked world less wild.
The Perfect Home
The Perfect Home
A perfect home should be both soft and warm,
Though not concerned with perfect symmetry.
It should be strong to stand against the storm
That every home will face eventually.
A perfect home requires the perfect guard,
A father who protects his wife and young.
Although he isn’t perfect, he works hard
And in his perfect home his praise is sung.
A perfect home is beauty brought to life,
The place where all the world begins and ends.
For this it needs a mother and a wife;
On her, perfection of the home depends.
And in this world where danger still exists,
In perfect homes a perfect faith persists.