A Lighter Touch

It's a matter of pressure, the weight of exchange Affection we share now, in a different ballgame I won't leave you red faced, embarrass, or shame Tho' my impulse commands to squeeze you the same But your school chums are watching, so I keep arms restrained You've been climbing the ladder, to your middle school days And I'll admit that the changes are much harder for me Than for you who resolves to grab hold to each year And wear them like badges, on your way to be free My cherub remembered, is no prize you would own Yet my feelings, regardless, are the same as before When I rocked you, my baby, how I cherished dark nights I never once pondered, how soon wings take flight I would cradle and hold you, my lips on your cheek I sang nursery stories, and called you my sweet The world of surprises with each passing while As you wander a tightrope, between a man and the child So I hug you now gently, I must stifle my gushing But the touch of you fills me with rushes of longing I can’t swallow you whole, like I did long ago But the love hasn’t changed, and the touch is much lighter But the love is the same , we both know it, somehow… .................. For Deb's Contest: "Touch"