The Perfect Size

Too small for school

Too small to skate

Too small to stay up late

Too small for all

The things tall brothers

Do ‘til half-past eight

Too small to tie my shoes

Too small to reach

The up-high shelf

Too small to understand the news

Or read

All by myself

Too small to walk the dog

Too small to count

Past one-two-three

Too small to button buttons

Or zip zippers

Or pour tea

But I am the right size to lick

The spoons when

Mommy bakes and cooks

I fit just right

In daddy’s arms

To read my bed-time story-books

I'm the right size to play

With toys and

Sleep with teddy bears

Or jump in a Big pile of leaves

I’m not too small

To say my prayers

Or ride my bike

Or try to be like

My big brothers too

And oh, I am

The perfect size

For hugs and ‘I love you’

© Janet Martin

'Look, Janet', little guy grins with pride, 'I made 'I love you' 

The little just-turned-three-guy I babysit (after being away for a few weeks) returned today, all smiles and sunshine!

Where Are You Going, Little Boy?

Where are you going, little boy full of fun

I’m going to wade where the little brooks run

Where are you going boy, brave with mischief?

I’m going to chase the wind chasing the leaf

Where are you going, boy of eager grin?

I’m going to explore the day I am in

Where are you going, my dear, dashing fellow?

I’m going to splash in the morning so yellow

Where are you going, so carefree it seems?

I’m going to sail on a sea made of dreams

Where are you going and how, little lad?

I’m going to play with my puppy, dad

Where are you going, dear son, full of plan?

Why, I’m on my way to becoming a man

© Janet Martin

  

A Boy Without a Dad

It’s hard to be a boy without a dad

The other fellows, without second thought

Say ‘my dad did this’ or ‘that’s what my dad said’

And suddenly I miss my dad an awful lot

It’s hard to be a lad without a dad

There’s things a mother simply cannot do

And oh, sometimes I simply wish I had

A dad that I could brag and boast of too

It’s hard to be a boy without a dad

Mothers are great but they can’t seem to see

The need to do those things that make us glad

Like dads, who also once were little boys like me

Dollars and cents are not enough to buy

The one thing that I dearly wish I had

My mother hugs me; I try hard not to cry

But it’s hard to be a boy without a dad

© Janet Martin

Mothers and Fellers

It's Children's Hour at Poetic Bloomings

Mother tells me to clean my ears

To eat my greens

To wash my face

Mother tells me to pick up my toys

Be nice to my sister

And put things back in place

Mother tells me that worms ain’t fer pockets

And mother tells me

To let the frog go

Mother tells me I’m growin’ too fast

But I think I’m growin’

Awfully slow

Mother tells me to shush, baby’s sleepin’

But I was simply

Chasin’ my ball

Sometimes I think that mothers and fellers

Really don’t understand

Each other at all

Mother tells me to mind my manners

She tells me its bedtime

When it’s quarter-past noon

She says do your homework

Do your best, and remember

You’re gonna be a man someday soon

Mother tells me I’m her little sunshine

She tousles my hair

An’ hugs me real tight

She makes my favorite fruit cobbler for dinner

And she doesn’t scold me

When I snitch a wee bite

At bedtime she listens

And I tell her my thinkin’s

She smiles and tucks me in with my football

Well, maybe, perhaps mothers understand fellers

Just a weeny-teeny little bit

After all

© Janet Martin

Image Source

When He is Gone...

Poetics Aside Prompt: use the words when he is gone anywhere in a poem.

When he is gone...

That laughing, little lad

The tree pines for those hours

That once they had

When he is gone

The air is heavy with a pall

Akin to absence of leaf-song

In the latter part of fall

When he is gone

That 'little boy blue'

The tree pines for his return

And perhaps his mother too

Janet~

Little Boy

'There's no such thing as a bad boy' (Father Flanagan in Boy's Town)

We love you so

The freckle-nose

The mischief, spontaneity

The reckless grin

The dimpled chin

The well of curiosity

The cause and cure for mother’s woe

Oh little boy, we love you so

Robust and sun-tanned leap of joy

How we love you, little boy

Our pride and joy

Dear little boy

Mother’s laughter and her tears

So we hold you

And we scold you

Innocence soon sheds its years

Time has such quick impatient feet

Oh little boy, precious and sweet

We must train you while we can

For soon, too soon you’ll be a man

© Janet Martin

One of my all-time favorite movies is Boy's Town. (Spencer Tracey, 1938) for so many reasons.

I agree with him, there is no such thing as a bad boy...

a child learns from what he is taught by what he observes.

Train up a child in the way he should go: 

and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Prov. 22:6 

Teach me how to Pray

Realizations #2

It hurts sometimes
To look into your eyes
And realize
That soon you will be a man
But what a tender pain to bear
For I know God has a plan
For you, my dear
And I cannot deny it
As your head brushes my chin
It won’t be long before I wonder
Where my little boy has gone
And as I pause to ponder
The brevity of it all
Perhaps a little tear will fall
But oh, what a tender tear to shed
For though we cannot know what lies ahead
We will have each other
And God
I will always be your mother
And no matter where you trod
When I cannot be there
God will reach you with my prayer
His light is never dim
And we can always talk to Him

Janet~

The Unadorned Truth

I’d like to say it isn’t fair
And that somehow you lured me in
And I was caught quite unaware
By your fair charm and roguish grin

I’d like to say that true blue eyes
Are definitely not to blame
And that they did not hypnotize
Whilst quite willingly I came

I’d like to say I did not fall
Hopelessly for your blue eyes
But you would not hear me at all
Discern-er of my fumbling lies

Janet~

When you're Four.....

When you are four you are a superstar
Every goal you score is the best by far
‘Cause Grandma and Grandpa told you so
They know everything, you know….
And daddy was smiling and really proud
Mommy was clapping and yelling real loud!
When you are four no dream is too big
And no task is too small
You are king of your hilltop
And ten feet tall
Someday you’re going to be just like Daddy
‘Cause you can be anything you want to be……
When you’re four you don’t compare yourself with the other guy
You’re a winner every single time you try
When you’re four you’re as sweet as sweet can be
And oh, so much bigger than when you were three
Four brings bright sun-drops on the grayest of days
Four chases all unhappy thoughts away
Because when you’re four there’s no reason to be sad
The world’s greatest heroes are mommy and dad
When you’re four you dream about being five
And every day is a good day to be alive
A week is forever and eternity
Is waiting for the bus at half-past three
Four is big enough to go to school
But small enough to just be ‘naturally cool’
When you're four the world is a lovely place
And there's nothing wrong with a dirty face
When you’re four and you’re little brother is one
You get to show him how everything’s done
Four is big but not too big to hug
Four is just right to tuck in nice and snug
I really can’t think of anything more
Beautiful; than being four

Janet~

For Michael.....one of the
sweetest four-year-old's
in the world!!!