I Promise

I swear to fly you south, my sweet
to have some fairy play
and smooch your chubby chipmunk cheeks
I’ll kiss the tears away –
give secret trips (with airplane rides)
So, hopefully, you’ll stay

I’ll try to paint you stories too
that you can read along
Buy unicorns and magic dust
or sing you hippo songs
just to hear you laugh the way
your mommy always does

And when the years have passed me by
and God does call me home
I’ll keep your name upon my lips
to make the angels know
a pretty one escaped their ranks
She’s crying on the ground
they’ll fly to sing you hippo songs

to tell you I’m around