I watch you gather round my table. Babies one day and soon children of substance. You breeze in, the door bangs, you each bound in, all smiles as you smell the nights fare. You are the spring of every visit. For you bring light and energy, hope and rejuvenation to this old soul. I long to see you, I know your parents have journeyed to be here, a celebration of our togetherness. I marvel as you instinctively find your way to the biscuit tin, garbled please and thank you, how refreshing to hear one say my name, in his own unique form. The older cousins engrossed in their technological mumbo jumbo ignore your attempts to join in. You climb on their shoulders never fearing the rejection that may well be just around the corner.
I watch each of you, I have known you since you were but specks within your respective mothers wombs, rejoiced at news that all was well, fingers and toes all accounted for, watched as those specks grew as nature intended, each formed in the likeness of mother and father. I am blessed I know to have held each of you, nursed you to sleep, cared for you, picked you up when you fell, dusted you off and watched as you each blossom into the faces of our future.
family dinner
each a seed to be nurtured
bringing me new life.
Written for: http://haibunthinking.wordpress.com/2014/03/04/haibun-thinking-week-7-march-4th-2014/
Morpethroad 
This is gorgeous Michael and I think the haiku is equally as gorgeous.
Thank you Jenny, very generous as always.
Welcome
I concur Jenny – you’ve said everything I would have said 🙂
Obviously two great minds at work. Thanks Lou.
Great minds do think alike 🙂
Not often that is said about you…
That I have a great mind? ..off to sulk
Well you have doubted it lately.
I still do deep down my friend…
Very sweet. The joys of being a grandparent and watching them grow. I like the use of the image.
Thanks so much Al.
You’re welcome 🙂
Superb piece, Sir ST2, a wonderful portrait of the next generation that brings such joy to old hearts.
Thank you so much you are very generous good sir.
Absolutely beautiful.
Thank you so much Maryann.
A really nice tribute to your grandchildren Michael.
Thank you Jackie, they are not always cherubs
Ah what child is? For that matter what adult is? 😉
Good point.
This is such a lovely image of family and hope, beautiful 🙂
Thanks so much Helen.
This brought me a lot of joy…. beautifully written…
Thanks Pooky I appreciate that. You have a good evening? Yes I am sure it is as I am having breakfast.
Yes, indeed it is evening here in London. A great evening thank you apart from the realisation that tomorrow’s to do list contains about 4 days’ worth of activities, but then, I do like to be busy…
Only 4 days, I would think you’d handle that in your sleep!!!!
ha ha! fair point, trying to work out whether staying up late to get ahead will prove counter-productive… methinks, yes! Off to bed…
Good idea, sleep well.
you? WHat’s for breakfast?
porridge, toast, cup of herb tea…..exciting eh?
we had pancakes this morning, the girls demanded them as it was pancake day and some fool (i.e. me!) told them!
I bet they were delicious. Made with a mum’s love how could you go wrong.
Lyra ate 10 (they were little ones, but still, I only managed three…) so they can’t have been too bad 😉
Your kids will always the best judge. Must have been good.
😉
Great tribute to childhood and in this case I’m thinking your family? It’s such a delight watching them come into existence, grow and become a part of our lives. The very miricle of life! You’ve created a great haibun it’s been a pleasure reading it and remembering my own…loved the haiku ending!
Thank you so much Georgia you are very generous. My gkids are a remarkable group.
🙂
Lovely. What a warm, loving image of family life.
Thank you so much Suzanne
Ah Michael, such joy to read the love a grandparent has for his family… and the haiku tops it perfectly. Just lovely. Oliana
Thank you so much Oliana, you are always generous in your comments.
You write from the heart, Michael and as a Nana, I could feel this here.
Thank you so much Oliana.
You are blessed indeed, and I hope to someday be also. It would be a pure joy. Imagining it has brought me a broad smile. Thanks. Great writing, as always. Warmly, Brenda
Thanks Brenda they are a joy, and they home to their houses. Thanks for reading.
I can’t imagine what my life will be like when my kids have grown and flown, but if I’m lucky, it will be like yours. 🙂
Mine is good my kids who live around me come for dinner each fortnight we have a lot of fun. I am lucky too that they are very close and like being together.
My family usually scatters to the wind. I can hope, though. 🙂
Well I have six, three have scattered, three have stayed around. By years end I will have 8 gkids…how will I remember their names??
Great piece Michael , The Haiku feels like a profound share – something we should all consider with the little people in our lives.
ML
x
Thank you Lou you are very generous my friend.
🙂