The best intentions

 A little bit of phone time cannot be bad I think 

So I give the phone to one child as I go to clean the sink

Then along comes child two and then in just a blink

The phone’s become a distressed ship upon which we all will sink

Then along comes child three and he says “it’s not fair!”

and pretty soon the cries the screams and the pulling of the hair

So if perhaps to listen you maybe have a care

I’d say if you have a smartphone beware beware beware!

Nobody is perfect

 Nobody is perfect 

No Not dad and no not my mother

Not Ellen (teacher) or Crellin (preacher)

And certainly not John (who’s my little brother)

We all are imperfect we all have our flaws

I could hate all of you (with good cause)

But nobody’s perfect I’m sure you agree 

No uncle not aunty no not even me 

I don’t need a cool name that starts with a “c”

I just want to be The best me I can be 

A mother’s love

 There’s no love stronger than a mommy bear 

Has for her cute furry cubs 

No love out there that compares 

To a bitch and her squirrelly pugs

There’s no love so unconditional 

In the city or out in the wild 

As a mommy who is caring for 

a sickly little child

* For the mothers out there, who understand that their children will never understand… until they have kids of their own 

But it’s not an iPhone!

Being outside is so much fun I love to play all day 

The thing is though (I’m sure you know) at home I’d rather stay

Visiting museums its amazing what we learn

But they are not iPhones so museums I must spurn

The songs we sing in church each week to the holy lord

Are prelude to the phone (that’s right) which is my true reward

And before I go to sleep I cannot brush my teeth enough to rid me of the yen

To fiddle with an iPhone no I cannot sleep til then 

So parents if you love me (and I know you do okay?!)

Just hand over the iPhone so I can play and play and play 

Getting to “yes”

 Daddy can I have it? Oh pretty pretty please 

I really really want it I will beg upon my knees 

And if still I cannot have it then I guess I must 

Roll around across the floor and make a giant fuss 

And I still can’t have it - if you still resist 

I might become belligerent and hit you with my fist 

And if from there you still don’t care how very sad I am

I might go to the fridge and eat all the family’s ham

And if I still can’t get a yes I might snatch up your phone

And you will have to chase me as we run around the home

And if that doesn’t do it, if still you are so rude

I might have a tantrum where I throw up all my food 

So you see my dear old daddy we can avoid this mess

Instead of saying “you can’t have” just always tell me “yes”

Rain drops

 The rain drops at night 

Go pitter patter on the ground 

Go ping ping on the air conditioner 

Go plip plop on the tree leaves 

And as I listen to them, you sleep 

Away in the land of your dreams 

I watch over you

Ignore the storm my darling 

And be peaceful in your dream 

The Siren in my pocket

 O smartphone in my pocket 

You’ve an alluring song

No way I can resist you 

I’m completely in your thrall 

You sing to me o siren 

And I cannot resist 

Like Ulysses on the Argo 

I am totally betwixt

In morning and in evening 

And all the time between 

Your tune is irresistible 

I’m addicted to your screen 

Oh sing to me sweet smartphone 

Alert me to the Zoom 

And more and more you draw me

Inexorably to my doom 

I wish

 I wish I wish I had gills

So I could swim like a fish

I wish I didn’t have chills

While I’m eating a tasty Knish

I wish I lived somewhere less hot 

Cause when I’m hot… I just rot

I wish I could use mommy’s iPad

14 hours or so in the day

I wish I wish you weren’t so mad

When I don’t do what you say 

I wish I wish we all could 

Find a way to express 

How much I need your attention 

When I have it, I am very blessed 

Nothing is nothing

 The world is filled with many things

There’s me and you and that 

But sometimes we say “nothing”

When it’s really not accurate 

You see if you are doing nothing 

And know so am I 

Then count’em that’s two nothings

Doing nothing you know why?

Cause straight up in my diary

I wrote about the day 

And if you did too well golly gee

Two nothings wrote something that will absolutely stay.

And if I say “I love you”

And you say “love you too”

You might think it is nothing - but on the other hand you might think it is everything - the love I share with you.