A Poem for Alfie, the day before school...
“It was yesterday” (Sept 2018)
It was yesterday when you arrived in a hurry
Causing us all to fret and to worry
Just a moment ago when we brought you home
And I cried in the bathroom, a bit scared and alone
It was yesterday when we rocked you at night,
Asking ourselves, are we doing this right
Just a moment ago it was feed after feed
Locked in a cuddle, your every need
It was yesterday when we first heard you talk,
Saw your first steps, as you learned how to walk
Just a moment ago when we first really knew
Who you would be, what made you you
It was yesterday when we learned the hard way,
That even when asked, you just wouldn’t stay
Just a moment ago when you decided to run
And dive in a pond (!) that’s when the fun had begun
It was yesterday when we dropped you off
Tears in the car park, feeling a loss
Just a moment ago when they called to say,
Chicken Pox I’m afraid, he really cant stay
It was yesterday when we first left you at night
Anxious at first that you’d be alright
Just a moment ago when we laughed in delight
At you as a snowflake, oh what a sight
It was yesterday when your sister arrived
And you came to the hospital, swelling with pride
Stepping right into your role as big brother
Cautious at first as you grew to love her
It was yesterday when you first wrote your name
Wanting to show us again and again
Just a moment ago when you planned your own Birthday
Avengers cakes, balloons and soft play
It was yesterday when we said our goodbyes
Summer before us, trying hard not to cry
Just a moment ago when we got the school list,
Checking that nothing important was missed
And now here we are, the night before
Wishing we had just one summer more
Willing for a moment that time would just stand
Stroking your hair, holding you hand
Knowing you’re ready, but not sure about us
Knowing that you do not need a big fuss
Excited for all your adventures to start,
Even if these adventures will stand you apart
The morning arrives and you’re up like a lark,
Dressed and ready even though it’s still dark
And suddenly we’re there, at the school gate
Early of course, you just couldn’t wait
We say our goodbyes and you’re off on your way
You never look back, or ask me to stay
And that is exactly the way it should be
Easy for you, but much harder for me
It was yesterday when all this felt so far away
Never imagining how we would feel on this day
And now somehow today, its you at the gate
Nothing stands still, time didn’t wait
Yesterday, everything between, and today
I guess what I’m really trying to say,
Every day in amazement, we watch as you grow,
Loving you more than you’ll ever know
