The Heart of a Child

I think perhaps The heart of a child really is Heart shaped... Like those on valentine cards, Delicate and soft with seed pearls dainty lace and fancy glittered Ribbons, spilling over like happiness. Yes, heart shaped, You can tell by the sound of their Laughter and of course by the was They smile... Babies coo the sweetest sounds and We respond with silly conversations. There is joy in the heart of a child when They look at you... Our voices comfort them as we lull them To sleep, so lovingly we rock them to Dream land, fast to sleep and ask the Lord Their souls to keep... Words from a song someone sang to us so Long ago...'Hush Little Baby Don't Say A Word'...'Lullaby And Good Night' and More often than not, a self styled lullaby. Suddenly they discover they have toes and Fingers... We love the way these strong little fingers Pull at our hair and glasses and grab and twist Our lips and scratch our faces...Ah, but we don't care. Soon they are crawling and scampering across The floor on all fours, then struggling to sit up With backs stronger than we remember baby's Backs should be at seven months. Oops! Down they tumble and fall and tumble As they discover this something called standing. We offer fingers and hands to steady them as they wobble... Then almost before we know it, they rush to us With those little out stretched arms. They stagger on tip toes and take those first steps To independence. They have a look of amazement that says, 'I did it!' and We reward them with applauds and kisses. We grin and make telephone calls in celebration! Our wonderful, beautiful babies know without a doubt They now rule in this palace, this place, this home. As babies grow we rarely miss a chance to brag to Family, friends and neighbors, and often strangers About the wonder and special qualities of our precious child. Yes, the heart of a child is heart shaped like those They draw with pictures of us in the middle... Heart shaped by an intergenerational connection of family, neighbors, friends and even that stranger that says 'Your baby is soooo adorable... Babies give to us the breath of happiness, Filling our heart with untold joy... Now and forever!