Heart pounding

Feet on the ground they step up onto the curb

Where arms spread wide

Core muscles spring to action

Her small body waving back and forth

As she balances herself

Or at least tries

I reach out for her and hold her hand

Her body steadies and that laugh

That I cherish to hear

Will escape her mouth

My eyes will meet hers

We are level

With her on the curb

And I look into those eyes

And I see a childish glow

Like a firefly in the pitch blackness of deep night

This glow is so bright

Only a child could glow that bright

And her eyes radiate happiness

And only a child could be that happy

Only this child

On the curb holding my hand

With that glow in

Her eyes

And I’m wondering if I helped put that glow

In her eyes

If I could only say I put that glow in

Her eyes

I could radiate happiness like her if I put that glow

In her eyes

And isn’t that something?