for my son
Those earnest eyes look up at me,
Bright and full of honesty,
And eagerness to do what's right,
The firm resolve of boyish might.
So many things you do not know,
Of horrors that have laid men low
And yet pain is not strange to you.
You simply know what you must do.
The world is such a simple place
Reflected in your innocent face.
I cannot tell you all I am
Until you grow to be a man.
You give your pennies to the poor,
You're confident you will get more.
But when you find you go without,
Your fortitude leaves me no doubt.
All of us who have forgotten,
Jaded, cynical and rotten,
Should see in your shining eyes
Lost memories of an old sunrise.
I know my guilt when I see you.
And it reminds me what to do.
It is the fate of women and men,
To try, and fall, and try again.
a moment in history
back to introduction
return to mainpage
