A Father's Wishes for His Son

By Kevin J. Shay

I’ve climbed majestic mountains
Up to the top,
Navigated wild rivers
Without a stop.

Dived off jagged cliffs
Into choppy seas,
Marched down lonely roads
Despite injured knees.

Authored stories and books
Done my best to inspire,
Changed what I could
Maintained my fire.

But my finest hour
Was when I became your dad,
You gave my wife and me
Much more than we had.

I wish we had a saner world
Where kids never died,
Where nice people finished first
And worked side by side.

I wish I could protect you
From all hurt and pain,
So that you always smiled
And remained the same.

But all I can do
Is try to be there,
When you need some help
And you’re gasping for air.

There will be times
When things seem such a mess,
And seems no one can help you
Pass your next test.

But as sure as the stars
If you look up you’ll see,
A silver-lined cloud
With the same name as me.

Kevin Shay is a reporter for the Arlington Morning News. His son, Preston, was born premature at 32 weeks. Read his news story about Preston and prematurity.

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