Marked By Love

Sometimes I look at my stomach

I see the marks left upon it

Ten years they've been there now

Some think they're hideous

Even I have thought so a time or two

 

I remember a time before they were there

The smooth skin, being a size one

No real sense of resposibility

Could come and go as I pleased

How life has changed

 

Over the years

I have come to cherish these marks

Each one symbolizes the love I have for you

For nine months

I was your home

 

I felt you come to life

Each rumble, each kick

Our hearts beat as one

The bond between us grew as you did

It was then I began to know what love really is

 

As I look at these marks now

I trace my fingertips along each one

Remembering every laugh

Hearing so loudly every cry

Visions of holding you so close

 

I can hear your heartbeat with mine

And there it is, your first word

I see your first steps

Watching you climb onto the couch

Listening to you sing with The Wiggles

 

Tears come to my eyes

As I see you in color

Riding your first bike

Learning to tie your shoes

And picking you up from school

 

Some days have been so hard

I remember so many fights

Hearing you scream, "I hate you."

Wanting to die inside

Feeling so frustrated

 

Hurting when I remember each scrape

Crying when you were sick

And I couldn't take the pain away

Hearing you cry when you're sad

Feeling the heartbreak again

 

It's all been worth it

Every pain in my back

Sleepless night

Frustration and fear

Wondering if I'd do alright

 

Here you are now

My young man

So independent in many ways

Intelligent beyond compare

Full of wishes, hopes, and dreams

 

As I trace the last mark

More tears flow down my cheeks

I am so proud of you

Who you are

And who you're becoming

 

You are my greatest joy

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow

You still need me now 

Little by little that changes

But you will always be my little boy

 

These marks are nothing to be ashamed of

Because you are so wonderful

You taught me how to love someone more than myself

You teach me still

Every single day

 

It's you that shone the light

When I'd lost hope

Wondered why I was here

What I was to do with my life

It is you that showed me the way