For My Son

These big man hands were once
Creating crafts of clay
With little fingerprints left in
Little cracks, little dents
This once small heart,
Afraid of the dark
Now is large and knows
Real fear, real sorrow
Once tears for scrapped knees
And broken things
Now knows the angst of a broken
Heart that must keep beating
That little head once framed by
Dark curls while the world unsullied
Slipped by,
Now tosses and turns to the music
Of lost hope’s time
Those little feet that danced in joy
For no other reason than they could
Now trips over the shroud
Of meant-to-bes and shoulds
Once swaddled by dreams, soft smiles, little lashes
Trembling in sweet sleep
Now knows the terror of waking
To a heart breaking
Knowledge has given you wings
But reality has its sting
And now your tears will know
Why they’re cried-
You will go on
Your heart will be stronger for the battering
And your soul will be whole despite the tatters
You will find your song in the promise
Of the broken wings that still can fly
You will be free, you will be free
For there is still music and joy
And beauty and this is the way of the world
A circle of beginnings and endings,
Of joy and sorrow, of tears and laughter
Of music and silence
Of dancing and stillness
Love will come and go
But it is always here, an indestructible force
That just lies dormant waiting for you to uncover it
Or it will surprise you with an ecstasy unconfined,
Deep, like ancient wine
You will weep, but you will sing
You will walk in darkness, you will fly in light
You will dash your heart across the stones
But you will hold it to the fire
You will love, desire and fight
You’ll gain the day and own the night
You’ll hold the river’s flow
You are stronger than you know
© Kelli Geopfert
Photos by Alain Laboile