The first grandchild. My sister’s first son. My first nephew.
When you were a baby I believed you were magical
You had a power that made sparks fly in the night
…and a sweet song in your whispers
Too young to crawl, so you walked before you had twelve months behind you.
Words came easy and questions an endless conversation
– I was in awe of you baby boy beloved
Once I brought you to school with me; didn’t tell your mother I lost you until years later.
I remember sitting in class wondering where I had “misplaced” you
Who did I let hold you? Who did I share the bliss of you with?
As you captivated the affections of everyone; it could have been, anyone
Off in the distance a little voice echoed through the halls. What’s that?
I imagined you pointing your baby finger to what ever it was that struck your curiosity
Four young black girls giggling at what a joy you were as they reluctantly returned you to me
Back then; those days, I had more interest in getting high than to think about God
But I knew the miracle that you were, how much love flowed from your tiny heart into mine
The way the river flows into the sea…and you were never truly lost to me
Today I have memories that rush like a tidal wave. Images, words of a poem once read
Stories told, moments of laughter and tears. The baby. The boy. The teenager. The man
On this day I weep. I remember. I cherish. I ask that God, whom I had forgotten; to hold you close and protect you – ashes to ashes dust to dust
May your magic always surround me. Fair winds baby boy beloved…
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Trilby Yates 