A Promise

That when my palm encircles that tiny finger,
we form a bond, for life.

That I'll crawl with you,
and wait for those pink toes to take their first step.

but when the tables turn,
I will let you walk ahead, and try to catch up.

That my eyes will light up,
every time you walk into a room I am in.

That I'll tell it like it is,
but fight hard to not let the world's prejudice blight your innocence.

That I'll prove by example,
that a real man is unafraid of his emotions; he cries, he hugs and he loves.

That I'll let you choose your own passion,
but be sure to stack your shelves with Blyton, Rowling and when the time comes, Frost.

That I'll be happy with whatever you choose to do with life,
but fervently hope some of that literary passion passed down the genes.

That there will be no unpleasant silence; no void to fill,
we will talk, we will scream, we will cry, we will laugh out loud.

That I'll teach to you stand,and stare and never take for granted the small joys;
to never slight a woman, to never pass on a righteous fight, to never lose your voice.

To lose yourself in music and words, to always make time for yourself,
to never let the weight of the world make you forget the wonder that you are.

To love with all your heart, and forgive just as easily;
that hate is high maintenance; a toxic cocktail you can do without.

To be wise with money and a career,
but to remember that people are the only real assets you'll gather.

To prop you up on the kitchen counter, and let you discover the world of smells and tastes,
and get your hands dirty, to see your first flower bloom.

That when the time comes when you find my company embarrassing,
I'll take a step back or two, and let you walk into adulthood, on your own.

That I'll always believe that after those wonder years of rebellion,
you will come back, to this bond we have, and we'll start over.

To leave in you, all that is good about me, all that is worth passing on,
and work hard to not let my character flaws cloud your persona.

To be glad each day, to be thankful, to be grateful,
for this little life, that is all mine to nurture, sculpt and make a beautiful being out of.

I promise all this, to you, and more, my child...
even if you never are to be mine.



The only prompt for this poem is the need to get this out of my system. I am a person who still doesn't know if he'll ever subscribe to the concept of marriage; it is strange for me to want to write a poem to a child I might never have. But, I just did. :P

The form is the one in which I am at my most unbridled - Free Verse.