Beginnings...

You no longer wear the softness of a child

I look at you, not down

But straight into your eye

Yet, I do not resist the urge

To hug you when I can

Your arms are long and awkward…

…the beginnings of a man

You ask questions spurred by deeper thought

Gone is the ceaseless spring of childish gush

The hand of time is nudging you along

Suddenly I sense its hurried push

And when did you begin to blush?

The proof of fading innocence

The bud of adolescence

I cannot see the brink on which you’re poised

But I can hear it in

The timbre of your voice

When began the deepening of its tone

Or the ruddiness beneath your tan?

Will you remain forever just a boy?

Or will you seek wisdom and become a man?

Janet Martin

Next year Matt will be hiking on Thanksgiving with our youth group.

This year's hike for me was bittersweet. Time is in such a hurry!