Sent to Awaken My Infant Son

[David W. Parsley]

SENT TO AWAKEN MY INFANT SON

 

The room is an open story book I

enter like some leafing thumb. Arms

and cheeks flushed with the fever of sleep, he lies

like a fragile doll the breeze has washed and warmed.

 

Supper time. But nothing sends the mind

beneath those lids a flick of doubt, the lashes

calm as settled duckling down. To find

him like this! strong, at peace. No one watches

 

as I touch the hands, the unharmed knees,

ears not used to scolding. The sun will set.

No twilight floods the world that I appease

for this brief time. I shall not wake him yet.

 

 

unpublished

winner L. Paul Roberts Poetery Foundation 1982

© David W. Parsley 2011

Parsley Poetry Collection

Edited January 19, 2013 by David W. Parsley

[Larsen M. Callirhoe]

what a beautiful thought by a father looking at his new born infant son with only admiration of the great goals in life he shll acheive. wonderful vision which in my opinion is amanya visions of hope for their newborn sons and daughters by the newborns parents . thank you for a warm poem.

 

 

 

victor

[tonyv]

A lovely application of metaphor, Dave. Especially effective are "unharmed knees" and "ears not used to scolding." The concluding couplet poignantly expresses the reality known all too well by the parent.

 

Tony

[Benjamin]

A lovely thought which encompasses innocence and goodness. It reminds me of lines from a Gaelic lullaby called "The October winds" which I used to sing for my children, it ends, "A little rest and then the world is full of work to do." Benjamin

[David W. Parsley]

Victor, as always you find and express a kindred resonance with my poems. Thanks for sharing.

 

Tony, your analysis is always right on. I'm glad for your appreciation of the poignancy and metaphoric develoment.

 

Benjamin, the lullaby you quote is new to me, and relevant to my theme. A nice reflection.

 

- Dave