Kathy Murphy

The warmth of the sun,
Faces all aglow.
It's time for summer fun
As the happy faces show.

Ring around the rosies,
Watermelon rinds,
Imagination soaring
From these perfect little minds.

No more stuffy classrooms,
They're living fancy free.
Summertime is finally here,
They realize joyfully.

Only good things lay ahead.
Fun-filled days galore.
Playgrounds, parks, and sprinklers,
Gathering seashells by the shore.

Building castles in the sand,
Watching waves come rolling in.
Don't forget the sunscreen
For their sensitive skin.

And in the days that follow,
There's much more to be done.
Friends and family gather.
There's fun for everyone.

Games of leapfrog and flying kites,
Even climbing trees.
Mom is always near
To mend the scraped-up knees.

Hopscotch on the driveway.
Hide and seek...YOU'RE IT!
Mother May I, and Red Rover.
Let's socialize a bit.

The ice cream truck is coming
Just around the bend.
The music's getting closer.
Excitement has no end.

Jumping up and down,
Laughter fills the air.
As the truck comes into sight,
Children appear from everywhere.

With mile-wide smiles and dancing eyes
And money in their hand,
They rush up happily
To greet the ice cream man.

Once the treat has been consumed
They continue on to play,
Frolicking in the sunshine
On this brilliant summer day.

And when each day has ended,
They'll dream of so much more.
Exciting and wonderful things
Ahead, yet to explore.

Hello summer, we're glad you're here.
Linger on and stay a while.
You're our favorite time of year.
You make these little children smile.

They laugh and sing
And dance and play.
You bring such joy.
Please don't ever go away.

M...y life is good.
Y...es, I'm glad to be me.

C...hildren running everywhere,
H...appy as can be.
I....glance around,
L...ooking at them all,
D...ancing and singing,
R...eally having a ball.
E...veryone's happy,
N...o reason to complain.

A...sking for nothing,
R...eady to entertain.
E...verything's wonderful.

M...y life is filled with joy.
Y...es, I have been blessed.

W...ith my three boys
O...ne thing is for certain,
R...elishing in my family,
L...ove is overflowing
D...efinitely in me!

Though you cannot see me,
Just know that I am near,
Singing happy birthday
Softly in your ear.

I am always with you.
I'm never far away.
I would never miss the chance
To celebrate your 19th birthday.

Fourteen birthdays have passed
Since the day I died,
But for each one
I've been right by your side.

I've helped you blow out candles
And heard the wishes that you make.
I've seen you open up each gift
And watched you eat your birthday cake.

I've watched you grow into a man
As the years have passed by, son.
And I am so proud of you
For all that you have done.

You deserve the very best.
May all your dreams come true.
I'm leaving my eternal love
As my birthday gift to you.

Happy birthday, Son
Love, Dad

Life was hard when I was young.
A dad was just something other kids had.
It was a struggle for a mom with nine kids.
Some days were happy and some days were sad.

But mom did the best that she could.
The check from the state wasn't much.
My brother worked on a garbage truck
And brought us home clothing and such.

And I wore those clothes to school
Wondering from day to day
If any of the kids would recognize
The clothes they had thrown away.

The dishes we ate from were castaways too.
My brother brought home a lot of stuff.
We didn't have new things to show off to friends,
But what we had was good enough.

At the beginning of every month
We got our food from the welfare line.
Yellow rice, pressed meat, cheese,
And peanut butter that suited us fine.

But before the month was over with
The cabinets were bare.
It took a lot to feed nine kids,
But to complain, we didn't dare.

We made do with what there was.
Mom would get a loaf of bread
And make us a sandwich for our meal.
At least we all were fed.

A sugar sandwich was the bomb.
Mustard...ketchup...mayonnaise,
Salt and pepper between two slices of bread.
At least there were no hunger days.

We had electricity when we could meet the bill
And oil lamps when we couldn't.
We had running water half of the time
And the other half....we wouldn't.

But we all grew up and are doing good.
We have families of our own to feed.
We make sure they are fed and have clothes to wear
And whatever else they may need.

Mom moved on ...God called her home.
Her struggles on earth are through.
We'll all see her again when our time has come
And we'll begin a life anew.

There'll be no need for clothing,
Or dishes from the trash,
Or welfare lines and electric bills,
Or a limited amount of cash.