West wind whispers in the willows
Small people press faces to their pillows
Hovering hawk hears harvest mice below
Stillness and cold--harbingers of snow
Milky morning light kisses small towheads
Yawning and sniggering they fly out of bed
Yelling, “Mommy, Mommy we want to play”
“Daddy, Daddy, are you staying home today?”
Boisterous family goes playing in the park
Where streaming sunlight washed away dark
Happiness so easy on a bright, light day
What does it take to keep it just that way?
Children grow and children change
In a world sometimes wild and strange
Parents allow their fledglings to fly
With arms open wide to hold if they cry
Hearts are stretched and souls are seasoned
Decisions made either gut-felt or reasoned
Mother is awake waiting in the rocking chair
For youth to come home in the midnight air
Teens mature past heartbreak and pain
Years go around and around again
Steadfast love leads to marriage banns
Juggling relationship and career demands
The cycle spins full circle and then
Different yet the same spins again
West wind whispers in the willows
New mothers fluff their children’s pillows
Grandma smiles indulgently
Knowing these years pass too swiftly
Hovering hawk hears harvest mice below
Stillness and cold--harbingers of snow
