a birthday poem (lyn)

Alexander writes me a poem for my birthday.  The references are personal and reflect both his warmth and his humor.  I love it:


Dear Mom,

This past year was rather stressful but also fun,

Your input in tough situations made me happy to be your son.

Our times together were great,

From college trips to the Cape.

When Gracie passed, our hearts were filled with pain,

However, she was soon replaced by a cat that’s insane.

Gracie helped design the robot Watson—an incredible feat,

Ellie isn’t as smart, but she is very sweet.

Every night at 10, she turns into a cat that’s possessed,

When she walks on her hind legs I become distressed,

Can you believe she treats me like that when I am a guest?

Remember our trip South that included the Duke tour,

Things got complicated when you tried that detour.

We drove in circles forever around a plantation,

Until we were helped by a nice man at the gas station.

We came to a mudslide that made driving no fun,

And got stuck in a town but could buy a blowgun.
When we crossed the mountain, it seemed like we were in Cannes,

Little did we know, we’d be sleeping at the Inn of the Seven Clans.

It’s so rare to hear you talking about the weight that you’ve lost,

Sometimes I wish you’d have pride for this milestone that you’ve crossed.

Our old picture books are flooded with photos of me,

I wonder if this year there will be pictures of things other than your body.

Dinners with you are nice—we watch “Modern Family” and you bake,

They would be even better if you didn’t try to mix clementines with steak.

I understand you want to stay skinny but I have taste buds too,

Sometimes I worry that you’ll replace my pizza bagels with a box of tofu.

I know you were sad when Becky and Sam returned to their country,

Please realize how much it meant to them when you took them to “Toy Story 3.”

I love spending time with you any time during the day,

You are generous, thoughtful, and smart in many ways.

If you weren’t my mom, I would probably throw a fit,

So have a great 60th, you really deserve it.

My love for you is deep and absolutely not petty,

I just pray that you will never again make squash and call it spaghetti.

Love,

Alexander