Thursday, August 02, 2007

Before the leaves

Before the goldens and crimsons of autumn,
ahead of the early frosts and woolen scarves,
There is another show, a grander spectacle,
its beauty steals my breath and owns my heart.

The march of rolls and dimples, and of babbles and coos
begins anew, purposeful and swift it goes, I stand and watch,
every so often giving chase as the baby I have known,
sweet flesh and magic, fades away,
a gentle morning mist slipping away to sea,
as the brilliance of a new day slowly crests.

Her sapphire eyes reflect a new dimension,
understanding and questing, a challenge and a promise.
Once small and anchored in the richness of her cheeks,
they now dominate her face and penetrate my soul.

Absent are the blurred edges and muted colors,
less water color, more intimate sculpture, still magnificent,
more intense, defined and striking, bursting with life.

A part of me mourns the departure of baby and newness,
like a lover leaving in the morning, there sits a sorrow,
a longing for the cocoon of firsts, of impenetrable focus.
Yet I feel a hunger for the intensity of yet-to-be,
of conversations and of milestones.

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7 comments:

Lara said...

the poetic beauty: it drives me to tears.

as it does you, i'm sure.

flutter said...

Oh, Amanda...

S said...

Lovely, Amanda. So sweet.

Whippersnapper said...

Oh, my baby has just reached the point where she never, never crawls anymore. She had an adorable crawl, used to rock her head side to side as she did it, and I MEANT to get it filmed... now it's gone forever and it breaks my heart.

At the same time, I sure can't wait until she's ten and quasi-independent...

Lovely poem.

Momma Bean said...

I recently wrote of the reasons why I love to read the words of other mothers. Because you so eloquently put into beautiful phrases just exactly what my heart shouts daily. It's not the first time you've brought me to tears, and I am sure it won't be the last. Just plain wonderful.

Damselfly said...

Man, I wish I could write like that! You've captured a bit of what's been rolling through my mind.

Beautiful...

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, as always. And it truly captures the way I'm sure we all feel as we watch our children grow.