For Liam

For Liam

Liam,
Smile your smile for a while,
That smile so burnished by the warmth
Of your young heart that does not  yet
Understand sin; that is propulsed by
the love surrounding you. Hold on to your smile
For it makes lives worthwhile.

Liam,
This is a funny old world; made specially for
Those eyes agog and small hands that grasp
And drop and push and undo and unravel
The mechanical world around you, urging it to come undone
Not realising that we're something you're yet to become:
We've all already come undone.

Liam,
Sleep close to your mother's heart
And by your father's arms, proud and strong,
Be warm as the love they show and straight as the rod
They may occasionally use; Sing like they sing, pray
As they pray, love as they love, give as they give,
For they may well be the most forgotten, oft overlooked,
Constantly unseen gift you receive.