Five-Years-Old (a poem)

Five-Years-Old


Carrying you to your room,
the dead weight of sleep
in my arms & in your eyes,
you are an infant again.

Blonde, top-heavy
head bobbing to &
fro, your hay fever nose rubs
then rests

with one deep
full day's play breath
on my shoulder. Above
the bed I hold you

knowing that for this instant
you are safe. For this brief moment
you cannot brush aside my kisses
for the attention of a friend

or race fearlessly down the street
peddling feet all in a flurry
laughing & screaming
"Dad! . . . no hands!"

(from the chapbook PRAYERS & LAUGHTER, 1990 - also published in Flights)

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