tiny trials
I'll never forget those early days,
the bi-hourly feeds, the tiny trials,
the early reward of Summer's smiles,
and the love that we grew in a million ways.
Now and forever
You have always been great at games...
but never was it as plain to see
as when (and how easily) you took to this,
a game amiss of definite rules
and well-worn tools in need of revision,
but never clouded your vision of how you would raise her.
You selected, appraised, and collated the ways,
developing a motherhood manual of your own,
through courses and the instincts that stirred in your belly,
perspectives renewed and a model for many
of willpower, and gusto, and inspirational poise;
determined to set yourself up for success,
and when the time came to push
you gave it all. Nothing less.
In a way, that was all expected.
You're the strongest woman I know (by far);
this challenge would never rock you.
But in another way, you entirely surpassed
even the strongest of our estimations,
revealing the mother I always knew
was deep in the heart of you.
Happy first mother's day, you beautiful soul.
Once again, you've excelled and amazed.
You're a natural, you're incredible, you're a love to behold,
you're a mother,
now, and for all of your days.
Forever inaugural
Not every day will be like this.
You can’t rely on this temporary serene
that comes of not poisoning or hampering your soul,
for the slow and boring days will come again
and again and again, and only then
will you know if the lesson has been learnt and burnt
into the habits of your new way of being.
It is pain to be forever inaugural,
never celebrating the anniversary of being renewed.
My city in frame
Austin, Texas (first Austin apartment to the left, wedding venue to the right)
The plan I had
Some years ago now, I was challenged to write a 10 year plan,
if for nothing else but to devise direction,
but it left me disappointed
in its lack of dreams,
each milestone marked by dollars saved,
and children made,
albeit that felt like lofty goals,
aspiring for prosperous normalcy
and stability.
Here I am, 8 years later,
homeowner, married, fathered, naturalized,
in a new city with a great circle of friends,
career a little askew,
fitness a little off track,
and though some token goals
on that 10 year plan
have gone unanswered by year 8,
what I have experienced and achieved
far exceeds my expectations
and imaginations;
I thought I’d set lofty goals,
but had I known how I’d smash
right through them,
only to discover a reality much richer,
one of our own making,
one shared,
as I had prayed it would be
that night long ago when I stared alone
at the beauty of the moon.
Bourbon vs Scotch
When tasting Bourbon
you are aware of the fast expertise
crammed into its hot, caramel flavor,
reveling in its excitement,
like a fiery prodigy.
When tasting Scotch
you are walking through fields of barley,
fingers brushing through centuries of craft,
whispering celebrations (and sad affairs)
in romantic wisps.
SUMMER
S oft understanding murmurs my eternal reverence.
U nique moments memorialize existence, rendering shadows
M ere mists; even rain shines unbeaten.
M ay every reality seek us, moreover
E ach rare star utter miraculous messages,
R eciting stanzas unwritten; making mysteries emerge.
Summer Unearths Meaning, Marking Everything Renewed.
