In My Life

In my life one moment,

A baby is born to the world,

Bringing joy and happiness

A little person learning how to be human

Learning how to eat, drink, and feel

 

A toddler weaves across the room

Struggling through his first unsteady steps

From person to person, then chair to chair

Expanding his horizons in this world

 

A child plays his boyhood games

Friends learning how hard friendship can be

Fighting over trivial matters then making up

Strengthening the life-long bond between them

 

A boy feels his hormones rage

Not knowing where the feelings come from

Unsure what is happening to his body

Beginning the slow process of becoming a man

 

A teen learning about lust and emotions

Acting on the impulses of biology

Not ready for the consequences of his actions

Guided gently by a father filled with love

 

A young man yearning for independence

Makes the decision he doesn’t need me anymore

And though my heart beats with pride, it also weeps with grief

A father losing his little boy to the world.

 

In my life one moment, and on his own the next

By Dewey.