Canon's Poem

When I first held my newborn son
I saw visions of his life
I saw achievement, happiness, peace
No fear, no pain, no strife
But now his future is vague
And the path for him unknown
I reconstruct my dreams for him
Based on love alone
There was a time I wanted him
To recite his ABC’s
To count to eighty-five
By the time that he turns three
But I amend that wish for him
With shame at my own pride
I only want to hold him
As I read “Brown Bear” one more time
I no longer wait for days
When he can run and jump and climb
Lord willing, they will come
But for today, I spend my time
With him wrapped up in my arms
A cradled gift I can’t let go
I whisper in his ear
Important things he needs to know
I dreamed of watching baseball games
Of yelling, “That’s my son!”
Now I only want him to know God’s creation
Is wonderful and fun
So we’ll swim in the heat of the summer
And crunch leaves in the chilly fall
We’ll marvel at the blankets of snow
And the springtime bugs that crawl
So I push him on the swing
As many times as he’ll allow
And we take him to the farm
To meet the friendly cow
I intended him to be
The strongest, brightest, best
And now those words mean little
When his head’s upon my chest
I only want these fleeting times
To never go away
Let me never wake
From the closeness shared today
The moments that seemed so many
Once upon a time
Now I chase and catch and keep
Like treasured fireflies
They blink with radiant glow
Then fade before my eyes
I live to hold the next one
To capture in my mind
For pictures we have plenty
And they won’t be left behind
But they aren’t what I crave to have
When time slips away like sand
I want to keep the feeling
Of his fingers in my hand
I long to keep his six-toothed smile
When he sees me coming near
How do I hold on to his voice
Saying “Mama” in my ear?
And I can’t forget the way
He gently reaches for my cheek
As if to make sure I’m still there
Before he drifts to sleep
Who can tell me how to store
These things I treasure most?
They number in the millions
Like the starry host
My God, this son you’ve given
In your image we adore
And I truly can’t imagine
What you might have in store
Only this request
I beg you to attend
Teach me to remember
All the little things you give
Help me show my son
That in this great wide world
The only thing he needs to know
Is your love for him unfurled
Help us to be his teachers
And with happiness and grace
That in his lifetime he will feel
Your presence, See your face