Sunday, September 19, 2010

All


My babies, today
I will keep the skinned knees
the dirty fingernails
the peanut butter smears at the corners of your lips

Today I won't be so loud and hurried
that I can't hear your softest voices:
No need to rush, only hush
and listen to the sounds surrounding me

Give me your words, your stories,
your songs, your laughter, your tears,
and your long conversations ending nowhere
I want it all

Babies, today
I will hold you close to me
though your legs reach past my lap
and continue to reach at surreal speed

Today. Today,
because one day--one day
I will have no skinned knees to kiss
no smears to wipe, no nails to clean;
you will keep your words to yourself,
locked in a box to which I don't have the key.
And words from you might need careful excavation on my part.

So today, babies
I want it all

The mess. The noise. The tears. The joys.
I want it all

5 comments:

Christy said...

*sigh*

Rachel, I have never seen a day captured with more beauty and your words just entwine it with magic.

Thank you.

Unknown said...

Beautiful, Rae. Your words are always such a relief to me. They make me step back and say, "Oh yeah, why didn't I see it that way." You're right. Sooner than later our little ones will be grown up and not around any more or they won't need us in the same ways. Thanks for opening my eyes today.

Kelly said...

You seem to know how to calm a frazzled mother at the end of a day, when all I want to do is make them hear MY words, listen to MY advice, and have them stay off MY furniture. Sounds awefully selfish, right? Thank you for giving me that reminder that my precious babies won't always have that innocent schmear of PB to kiss off of their cheeks.

Qait said...

With writings like this, you often bring tears to my eyes. I love that feeling of cherishing little moments with Ender.

Shayanne Snodgress said...

Oh! I love this post :)