Friday, July 15, 2011

Unwritten Instruction: Be a Sentinel

My youngest, Nicholas, when he was a precious toddler

Babies don't come with instructions
instinct becomes the driving force
to tend to, love, protect, nourish.

Tend to mustard poops, sour spit-up
with love that transcends all comprehension
protecting innocence, those kind eyes with trust
nourishing body, mind and spirit for a healthy future

because this out-of-body kind of love felt for a child
spans the cosmos with infinite stars reaching high
spreading salty air through vast oceans deep

to tend to, love, protect, nourish forever
instinctively knowing
babies
can't
swim.

Children don't come with instructions
but if they did, to be a sentinel
with an eagle eye
would be number one.

Protect our precious from drowning
enclose the pool with a safety gate,
watch them at all times--
they trust you.

Poet Inspiration: One Stop Poetry

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Being a parent is a huge responsibility!

Brian Miller said...

smiles. parents are def heroes...mustard poops...had a bad flashback there...smiles. i work with kids so this hits home in a lot of the families i work with...

Scarlet said...

You need to keep an eagle eye on them. Lovely share ~

Unknown said...

i've no kids but have had the experience of witnessing a mustard poop... haha. love this poem... great moms and dads are a blessing

Anonymous said...

what a clever poem. Enjoyed reading it. go, moms

Reflections said...

Such a desperate need for those safety fences... May all the heroic parents live forth knowing this small step can save so many innocent lives.

Anonymous said...

i live in Phoenix, Arizona and i believe we have the devastating distinction of the highest rate of children drowning in the nation. this year has already been one of, if not THE, worst year on record. firemen and volunteers even go around door-to-door but it never seems to get through to enough people. thank you for highlighting the issue. ♥ dani