Like petals, your skin
So new, your eyes try to see everything
Little lips, perfect like a tiny red bow
And you gasp and yawn and sneeze
Surprising yourself with
all the noises you make
Can you hear the sound of my heart
Loving you instantly?
Can you see my furrowed brow as I contemplate
What your future holds?
Can you feel my 26 year old finger stroking your day old cheek?
Does its roughness startle you
as much as your
Silken face opens
my heart and eyes and soul to
Wonder?
I can't say thank you.
Words don't begin to adequately express
How a little over six pounds
of newborn hope can
Impact a heart that's been worn out
Trampled, scared
You have breathed life into this
Calloused soul
In you I see why God exists
To love.
To Mariah Elizabeth, my great-niece
Born September 24th, 1998
6 pounds, 6 ounces
18 1/2 inches of pure angel