My two oldest boys, James and Michael, were about four and five years old when I wrote this. I was inspired with these words at the exact moment I was filling up the washer and checking their pockets! Now I look back at these memories with such longing. They grow up so fast. Those little boy days were so sweet. My two oldest are now 19 and 20. I also have a 16 year old daughter, Anna, and a 13 year old son, John. This reminds me to enjoy my children and cherish every age and stage!
As I fill up the washer with soap and water
and sort through all the clothes,
I do as I must to prevent further mess,
I check the pockets of my little boys’ pants.
I’m often filled with anticipation
and, yes, I admit, some fear,
for I never know what I am going to find,
and how it will change from year to year.
I hope that it’s not the dreaded frog,
a worm, a beetle, or a poly wog.
I have yet to find such creatures thus far,
but what I have found is still quite bizarre.
A plastic toy starfish, empty bullet shells,
a toy crab tangled in a mesh of rubberbands.
Sweet Tarts, a miniature skateboard,
a jumbo paperclip, and an American flag.
A chewing gum wrapper, a toy dolphin,
and a miniature baseball helmet,
trading cards, army men, a piece of candy,
and a pocket full of rocks, you can bet!
Little boys’ pockets are truly amazing,
a secret place for their own collections.
They are the treasure chests of boyhood,
the results of hard play and explorations.
It’s in those pockets that we get a glimpse
into a little boy’s world of make-believe,
a world of adventure and curiosity,
a world where they dream their dreams.
And it’s in those pockets that we pause,
reflect, reminiscence and conclude,
that it is our privilege as parents
to help make their dreams come true.
Copyright 1997 Debbie Haupt
Debbie McKisick Haupt 