C’mon (Little) Man
Who is this wee lad who comes by my way,
Offering me a frog…then taking it away?
Austin’s his name and make no mistake,
He’s here to spread joy, for goodness sake!
But what of this give and take with the amphibian?
Give him a second, he’ll soon be off again.
He’s into this, or that, or on to another pursuit.
So much fun to be had…he’s a real root’n’toot!
He’s mumbling now; something about “Backyardigans”
We, with Mom and Dad, are “cultivating” new friends.
Pablo, Tyrone, and Tasha are three;
Uniqua and Austin complete the team, you see.
The fact that one is named for our own Austin,
May play a part in why he thinks they’re so awesome.
They sing, they dance and they explore the world,
The “team” is made up of three boys and two girls.
We’ve watched this group so often, you see,
Their songs are becoming a habit for me.
I’m humming them, even when Austin isn’t here.
I’m sure the dance steps will be next, I fear!
I’ll need dance steps and more to keep up with this tyke,
He’s on the move, from morning ’till night.
Such energy should be bottled, so I could enjoy,
Keeping up with this cool, energizer bunny-boy!
He’s into everything, all at the same time, to boot.
Moving from cars, to a bear, to trucks that scoot.
There’s not much that will tie this three-year-old down,
But I have found one thing that won’t bring a frown.
If the Backyardigans are on the TV,
Sooner or later, up in my lap he wants to be.
Or quietly sitting beside me…I’ll use any trick,
To slow him and calm him down just a click.
You’ve heard what little boys are supposed to be made of,
But Austin is first made by the good Lord above.
Frogs, snails and puppy dog tails are what the poem imparts,
But God started first putting love in his heart.
He’s being raised by Godly parents; that is certainly true,
Who are teaching him manners and the right things to do.
Austin is taught to hug and kiss when he leaves,
It’s the most precious thing one could ever hope to receive.
Expectations are great when he busts through that door,
Holding that frog…and offering it…but there’s more.
Whether it’s Backyardigans or cars…it really doesn’t matter,
There will be fun to be had amidst the mess and the clatter.
And when it’s time to leave, the fun really starts,
For Mimi and Poppy get to see what’s in Austin’s heart.
You see, he had a small hole in it when he was born.
A premature delivery left us all worried and worn.
The hole eventually closed and we thought we prayed it shut,
But God in His wisdom…the hold He did put,
To pour into Austin’s heart a truckload of love,
Then He healed that little body from His throne above.
The hugs and kisses are just Austin’s way,
Of giving away the love that God gave him that day.
If that were true of all humanity,
This world would be a better place,
For Mimi, Austin and me.
GOD BLESS!
Steve Alexander
Alias, “Poppy”
