This Moment
by Robin Keith

This moment will pass, I know,
But I hold you now, gently,
Close to me, and though
Dishes spill from the counter
Into cold, soapy water
And the ring in the tub joins
With towels that need folding
In silent protest of my negligence, I sit,
Watching you sleep
In my arms.

This moment will pass and I know
Someday, all too quickly,
You will be tall
And self-possessed;
You won’t come to me
With all your joys and your fears.
I will be, still mother, but not then
The center of your world.

You will inherit your father’s height,
No doubt, towering over me
As he does now. There will be love,
But different, not as we love now –
Openly, without embarrassment;
Showers of kisses,
Your soft little body snuggled against mine.

You will be a man, and how can I then tell you,
Make you understand
The depth of my joy, my clear,
Shining love
Of your every movement, expression;
The rush of sharp, unrestrained
Adoration
At your sweet, dimpled smile?
Can I explain?
There are no words.

My world is brighter, clearer,
For each moment with you, my tiny son,
Etched in my heart.
You cannot know, for I cannot explain
How much a part of me
Belongs to you.

So I hold you,
Perhaps longer than I should –
I am also a journalist, a wife, with many duties -
Things I will be doing forever –
But later, my little doll, later,
After I’ve taken the time to savor
The fresh, sweet scent of you, the feel
Of your soft head in the crook of my arm and your sleeping face
Nestled to my breast.

You grow away from me
By bits and pieces,
Turning today, sitting tomorrow,
Then crawling, walking, running away
With bold baby steps.
Will you know my heart
When you are old enough to step boldly
From the refuge of mother’s arms?
I don’t know, I hope you will; but for the moment,
I will cuddle close and pray
The bond, which changes of necessity,
Will never fade.

Perhaps you can know these things only
When another tiny, sweet-scented bundle is placed
In your arms and you see
Reflections of yourself in his eyes.
Then you may understand why,
In the miracle that is your child,
The outside world will pale and fade away before
This moment will pass.