For Sierra At Age Thirteen
by Michael Doyle

It seems only yesterday
That you were a tween
And now my youngest princess
Is aged perfectly to thirteen

There's not a single day
That I will ever forget
The moments that have passed
Nor will I ever in any way regret

The day that I woke up
From an afternoon's nap
And you climbed up 
Onto the top of your daddy's lap

Recounting the sameness of us
Part by part, one by one
A lifetime for you; a blink for me
God knows what he's doing and has done

The simple words written in the card
Could not begin to ever express
But I would not ever want you
To feel you had to ever guess

What a blessing that you've been
And what a daughter you truly are
What a laugh, every now and then
In this life, you'll go really far

But never so very far away
That you'll never stray from my heart
That's where you've always been
Since birth and will never depart

I stood there watching
As you blew the candles out
Singing you your birthday song
With only a single doubt

What has happened as the days rush by
And now in front of me, an amazing young lady
But can someone tell me please
What exactly happened to my darling baby?

A voice whispers hushed so softly
She has quickly and ably grown up
I smile with the hope to live to watch
Her drink from life's victory cup

(...to watch you sipping again and again
    from your victory cup...)

(c) May 26, 2022  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved