67 in Pearl

I watch, as you plant Iris’s down your driveway
 Tomorrow we celebrate the day of your Birth
 Granted more time for lessons and stories
 Unwrapped by those who come to listen
 Another year of your footsteps upon this Earth

An occasion worthy of reflection and gratitude
 Coveting the future minutes, we may not Get
 Able to share in the splendor of our love
 Uncertain of birthdays to come
 Each moment lived in its fullest – no intent of Regret
A whisper in the wind reminds me to thank you
 For all the fires you’ve built to keep us Warm
 To honor – you… who gave me life
 If not for your breath
 I would not have one of my Own
Rich beyond measure, I sit on a carpet of green
 Planted with your old Hoe
 At night I rest my weary head
 In a home built of two weathered hands
 By a great man I have come to Know
My provider, my protector, my mentor, my Pop
 The man who knows only of Giving
 Do you know what a strong and gentle creature
 You are? You who carries a torch of kindness
 For those who have passed, and those still Living?
Today I knew joy - as I held the sheets to my face
 The ones that dried in the summer breeze of Pearl
 Seizing another moment of gratitude
 You have created more than just a dwelling for us
 But an entire World
rochelle and popI wish you Happy Birthday and offer my many thanks
 Birds and crickets, lakes and lizards –your vision for living, I share too
 For all the little moments taken to cherish each other
 They will remind me for lifetimes to come
 Of how much I dearly love
 and appreciate you.