Happy 10th Birthday to my son, Jack, today. I wrote this one for him many years ago.
In his laughter
You can hear
The round softness of his cheeks
You can see
His open mouth
His shoulders up near his ears
His face grows red
His bright blue eyes narrow
He laughs as his sister
Throws a tennis ball
For the dog at the repair shop
While the mechanic replaces my headlight bulb.
She keeps throwing it
Even after she’s grown bored
To keep his laughter going
Soon all of us are laughing
At his laughter
In his laughter
You taste hot chocolate
On a cold winter day
You see snow angels
In his laughter
You feel a cool breeze
Smell lilacs
Taste a cherry popsicle
In his laughter
I feel his soft blonde curls
His fat fingers
His heavy head
On my chest
In his laughter:
The sun
Soft grass
The blue sky
Rose petals
Wild raspberries
A fresh pile of leaves
The perfect kiss
Cloud shapes
Lightning bugs
A warm blanket
In his laughter
We rejoice.
by Julie Blue 