24 lbs on which my heart lingers

What shall I say to you, darling

On the eve before you're one

What can I say of you, Cali

Of my love for you, my dear son.

I'll say how you've lightened my heart
With your chuckling notes in my ear

I'll say how you've given your brother

The greatest joy we shall ever hear.

At times you'll run from my arms dear

For adventure, the rush and the wild

But you'll always return to me yearning

The warmth from being my child.

The squeak of your bed frame each morning

Lets me know when you're awake

I have not far to be summonsed

Crib beside me as much for my sake.

Then your eyes open wide and there's huge blue
Staring at me from the side
Seven milk teeth erupt from your face
So I want nothing more than to bide.

Your morning bottle it beckons
Your body so warm and so near
Tiny hands they run through my curls
And those same curls then tickle your ear.

For breakfast you'll munch on grain toast
Sweet honey for a treat
Bananas, juice, Mama's mush
Oh how you love to eat!

The days they race past us so fast
To school, appointments and class
Yet I try so hard to inject still
Fresh air, the beach, the grass.

I listen to voices like monkeys

From the car seats in the rear

I'll hear how you imitate each other

Such ridiculous noises I'll hear.

I'll watch how you'll shriek with laughter

When you sight each other post school

Never mind there are friends watching over
For now's not a time to play cool.

You point to it all with a "dat"

Your word for this and that

"What's that dear mama?", you ask me

"My love, once again, it's a cat."

At bath time you seem to insist now
On climbing up to the spout
A shock of cold water upon us
Brings "STOP", a sharp breath and a shout.

And I find it hard to miss

A single moment that passes us by

A want to capture that moment
With my eye, I can't let it lie.

Did I blink too fast and miss your

Tiny changes that occured through the year

No amount of watching and writing

Can catch up with the speed of time dear.

As I lie here I'll ponder how you now
Have your mother wrapped round your fingers

Yet the thought of it makes me laugh so
24 pounds on which my heart lingers.

An angel with the touch of the devil

A Scorpio through and through
I'd have you no other way darling
It makes you the way I love you.