By Melissa Hollinger – Ontario, Canada
How I love lying with you in the hazy greyness of the early mornings,
Pressing kisses into your soft, smooth cheeks
You work your tiny, curious hands over my face and into my mouth
Giggling and gurgling when I try and unwind your chubby, dimpled grasp from my hair.
How I relish those moments in the inky blackness of the night,
When you stir with the beginnings of hunger
And I’m able to meet your hungry mouth with my full breast
And we can snuggle back into dreamland together.
During the day in the bright, busy light you’re distracted
Your eyes wander and you are so intent on our surroundings
Wondering what your brother is up to (or into) and your curiosity often surpasses your hunger
You’re learning little one and I know our special time together won’t last forever.
To be able to grow and nourish a child from the moment of conception,
Throughout infancy and beyond is something inexplicable
I will forever cherish the way you look up at me
This time where I am the single most important person in your life
to whom the poem is dedicated
I will love you forever, forever my baby you’ll be.
Melissa Hollinger became a mother in 2015 and now has three little boys aged 5, 3, and 1. She resides with her husband and children in Northern Ontario, just outside Sudbury. Melissa loves to spend her free time writing, reading, and creating art.
