Cycle

I opened my eyes upon the world
My tiny fingers were tightly curled
My eyes saw the brightness and quickly closed
Sounds all around me filled my ears unopposed

I opened my mouth and let out a cry
As hands with towels wiped me dry
Upon my mother’s chest I was placed
And of my first meal I had a taste

For months I cried and little I slept
Because of hunger or pain I wept
For my body began to grow
And out of infancy I did go

Crawling around on the clean floor
I couldn’t have asked for any more
For lying in my crib all day
Was not much fun I must say

I used the wall to hold me up
My mother was so proud of her little pup
Soon you’ll be walking I heard her exclaim
You’re growing so fast like a little flame

As I slowly learned to walk
I also learned how to talk
Many words flew from my lip
And into a toddler I did slip

Upon the grass I went out to play
On warm summer days as the trees did sway
I fell and cried and my mother came
And kissed my tears and cast no blame

My father taught me to ride my bike
And through the woods we would hike
He taught me to throw a ball so far
And eventually taught me to drive a car

For my childhood I have left behind
And now am a teen whose spirit shined
I went to school and learned so much
An had my first kiss and my first touch

My mother cried when college time came
For never would things be the same
When a boy turns into a man
He must move on as best he can

With college finished I began my life
Found a girl and made her my wife
At a large company I was a clerk
And woke every day to go to work

Some years later I had a son
He was just like me and so much fun
And like me he surely grew
Soon to leave as I already knew

For life is a cycle didn’t you know
We love and create and watch them grow
As we left our parents they must too
And off to college my son flew

I am old now and soon must die
But my wife and son are where I lie
I close my eyes and picture my life
And squeeze the hand of my loving wife

What comes next I cannot say
The best I can do now is pray
I’d like to think I did my best
And in the end I finally rest

Poems related to Childhood Artistic poem on Growing Up Short Life Cycle Poems

Have something to say about the poem?