Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Christmas Poems for My Kids (#2)

Every Christmas, I write poems for my kids, and this year I'll share portions of those poems here, to invite you into the celebration of what God is doing in these young lives. This second poem is for my middle son, five years old. The first poem, for my oldest son (originally posted Jan. 4), is included below it.
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Give me that smile, those deep brown eyes,
Give me the joy of being five!
Son, you remind us every day
Of the wonder of being alive.

We love the way you love your friends;
Your greatest joy is company:
Just like Great-Grandma Dourte did,
You love “together” ardently.

Thanks for seizing my solitude
And filling it with hugs and games;
Thanks for wanting to be with me
Even on my grumpy days.

I know that being five is hard,
With disappointment, sadness, pain;
But you bounce right back with boundless joy,
And want to do it all again.

I love your curiosity,
Questions that make me scratch my head;
I wish that I could answer them,
Find some response to what you’ve said.

But often all I do is laugh
Because your questions bring me joy;
You remind me of days gone by,
When I was five, a “middle” boy.

You’ve been so brave this year, my son,
In life at home and life at school;
We delight in your happiness,
And we’re so thankful that you’re you.

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Poem for My Oldest Son

Hooray for seven years of life,  
For seven years of loving you!
My son, you are a joy to us; 
This Christmas we delight in you.


We love the way you love the world,
With all its countries, all its states,
All its capitals, all its flags,
All its cultures, all its ways.

This world is great in every part
Because it’s made by God’s own hand;
But you, my son, were made like Him:
More grand than all the world is grand.

Just like you love to learn about
The lands that lie both near and far;
Just so, we love to learn of you,
And the wonder of who you are.

This year we’ve seen you grow so far—
You are helpful and sincere;
You love your brother, sister, pets;
You fill our days and hours with cheer.

And you’ll grow stronger, wiser yet,
As we are graced to walk with you,
To see you join the legacy
Of being good, and kind, and true.

So here’s to maps and flags and games,
And here’s to reams of paper used!
We’ve loved the pictures, puzzles, cards,
And all the ways that you’ve been you!