Magnolia

Mt. Vernon Place, Baltimore

On that early April day,
Walking in Mt. Vernon Place,
We paused under those trees,
Widely known for their grace.

The Magnolia had bloomed,
The fragrance heavy in the air—
Drowning out the city;
And we breathed deeply there.

Pappa found the branch,
A seat in a pale pink room.
And what a view I had–
Of every lovely bloom!

I sat for quite some time,
Perched high to see it all;
Pappa right beside me,
Preventing any fall.

And the only thing sweeter,
Than that fragrant bliss,
Than that flowery view,
Was, of course, Pappa’s kiss!

The Age

Baltimore, Maryland

Will she break all the laws–

This small rebel without a cause?

This is the age—

This is her turn—

To rage,

To learn.

The “twos” are now in sight,

Can we manage to do this right?

Will we stay brave?

Will we stand firm?

Or cave,

And squirm?

Mayhem might not exist,

Perhaps the angel will persist.

So we will hope,

And we will pray,

For scope,

Each day.

Pinball Pappa

The National Pinball Museum
Baltimore, Maryland

Quickly, Pappa pulls the plunger back,
And the ball shoots up with a very loud WHACK!
The table’s alive with color and light,
But Pappa has to keep the ball in sight.
Soon the metal ball finds bumpers at the top,
Bumping back and forth—will it ever stop?
Oh! But now it’s rolling down our way,
And Pappa has to keep the ball in play!
Whew! He strikes the button on his right,
And the little ball is back in flight—
Up a ramp, around a curve,
Hitting targets with every swerve.
The speeding ball is hard to track,
And then I hear a deafening CRACK!
But Pappa’s smiling from ear to ear,
And “REPLAY” is announced for all to hear.
Pappa’s good, a Wizard—I have no doubt;
But eventually even his talents wear out.
The screen above records his high score,
But, of course, the Wizard just wants more!

Sounding Out My Words

Baltimore, Maryland

I’m trying out my voice,
More and more each day,
Sounding out my words,
Since I have so much to say.

“Nej” is very easy,
And I use it quite a lot,
Like when I’m asked to sit,
And I would rather not.

I shout “Olli” at one dog,
And “Da-ne” at the other.
They’re my little buddies,
My sister and my brother.

“Uh Oh” has been useful,
And Mommy knows to check,
On everything around me,
That I have made a wreck.

“This” I use the most.
It’s something of a game.
I show Mommy “this”–
And Mommy says its name.

“Bye-bye, see ya!” —
The longest phrase I know.
I use it just like now–
Whenever it’s time to go!

Tootsies

Baltimore, Maryland

Ten Tiny Twitching Toesies Topping Two Ticklish Tootsies!

Coloring Fun!

Baltimore, Maryland

Colors from a little box
Will help me make this right.
These drab and boring pages
Will finally be bright.

A moment’s hesitation,
To pick the perfect hue,
And then I strike a page
With my trusty royal blue.

Already it looks better!
And Mommy looks so glad;
But I think another color
Is something I should add.

Lines of color everywhere–
I think this page is done.
I’ll just turn this over,
And have more coloring fun!