MAX

Just two or a bit.
Near total joy.

The words we all use.

A warm and willing smile,

outstretched arms, his,

reaching out to us. Irresistible.

Love, infinitesimal, immeasurable,

his without asking.

The legacy of us all,

is also his.

The overriding self,

the “Mine!”, “Mine!”,

the unbelievable tantrum,

the instant demand. Unsatisfiable.

They are also his, from aeons past.

Lasting  an eternity,

tho’ sometimes only seconds

then the Max of much love

returns again.

The years will pass,

G’andi will go.

The love, the lessons,

will never cease

from two people

with infinite care and patience.

And Max will join the adult world

Thinking. More careful with words,

“Mine”  “Mine” long gone.

Not perfect, we never are,

but now

ready to pass on lessons of his own.

Read at  XXI World Congress of Poets, Sydney, 2001