PROUD PARENT BY JAMES A. GALGANO the miracle which brought those tiny eyes to my ever loving embrace and serenaded me with your many tears as if abandoned to the night breaking this hulki

PROUD PARENT
BY JAMES A. GALGANO



the miracle which brought those tiny eyes

to my ever loving embrace

and serenaded me with your many tears

as if abandoned to the night

breaking this hulking extremity in two

as each tiny hand clung to my soul for dear life

yet each innocent laughter constantly

redeemed me from my constant imperfections

while i fed you, changed you and lullabyed you

in my loving arms to sleep



with each new day a wonderous memory unfolded

in your persistent presence

as you recreated life in your own image

to my unsuspecting audience of one

while you melted the anger from my heart

how can one be upset with each hopeful tomorrow

your first words , your first steps your first loss of teeth

are with me still, having built a palace in this aging heart

and haunts my dreams as i sleep

your first day of school and first failing grade

linked me to my own past and parents arms

how often we forget those moments

which return with your next birthday cake

reminding us of our own imperfections

with each parental mistake



nevertheless here we are on this your graduation day

on this your wedding day or as we sent you off to sea

fighting for some questionable policy

praying to a god we no longer believed in

to bring you back home alive to me

standing over your flag draped coffin

which brought you back much too obediently

in the confines of this broken heart

filled with each recurring memory

cherished conversation and embrace

a bumper sticker still scars my soul

proud parent on board this ship of mystery

still reflects upon this my wrinkling face