It starts with a heart
Too big to help but be loving
Fold it gently into skin
That loves to be touched
So that it craves the love
Of a mother and a child
Knead until pliable
Shape hands large enough
To haul groceries
Pick up weights
Sweep, fold, cradle faces
Attach them to arms
Perfect for caressing loved ones
Two at a time
Attach it to shoulders broad
Enough to sit a 35lb toddler
Perfectly shaped as a nook
For a tired mother’s head to rest
When constructing his face and head
Make it expressive
See his smile from a block away
Know that it holds an intelligent mind
Perfect for fixing problems, making terrible jokes, and playing video games.
Let his top half rest.
Make his feet perfect for running
Towards your family
Chasing you all gleefully through fields
Racing, galloping, galavanting
Always leading home.
Give him tree trunk legs
So that he may leap
Over obstacles
And into your arms.
Combine with top half
Bake for 3 years
or until golden brown
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The secret to cooking up
A loving father is it
Starts with his father
His mother
Molding him by action
Until he decides he wants
To be as loving as he was loved
And so he sees you and decides
You’re home and you are
Because he has built the space
for you to be.
I hope you all enjoyed this poem. I wrote in bed this morning as my toddler decided he would not sleep past 6am. If you’re a loving, present, and active dad I wish you a happy Father’s day. Your children see you and are watching you to learn how best to operate in this world.
TELL ME:
What is your favorite or funny dad memory? Is there a particular line from the poem that you liked?
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As usual tune in next Tuesday for my next newsletter.
All the feels, such beautiful and sweet words.
this is such a sweet poem. My funny dad memory is getting stomach flu at 8 and he cordoned off a room for me to watch cartoons and endure it for a week or two. I had stopped my vomiting spell for a whole day so he decided to give me purple kool-aid as a pick-me-up. I vomited it up 30 minutes later into a bucket, all liquid, and he found it a bit funny how purple it was.