poems for sankie...

(1)
O you vivacious child
full of beauty and intelligence
O you grown up boy
full of respect and friendship
What a gift you are
To me and your mother
and your step-father
and your brand new brother
and your best friend
and your neighbours
what a gem
what a sparkling diamond
you are
O you
vivacious, bodacious
beautiful and intelligent child!


(2)
A shining sun, a tree blooming with green
after the long grey winter
the pitter patter of children running in the streets
the roar of the televised crowd
during the NBA playoffs
blockbuster movies
tee shirts, running shoes and boxer shorts
all scream loud and clear
Summer is here
So let the fun begin!

(3)
I am talking about your best friend Robert:
It is not everyday
that you meet someone
who is closer to you than your own shadow
It is not everybody
you can claim as a best friend
Friendship is like water to a thirsty person in the desert
Cherish it for you never know
When you will be so blessed...

looking out for one another
is better than thinking of only yorself
caring and sharing
is better than boasting and bragging
two heads are better than one
four hands are stronger than two
side by side hand in hand
you are stronger
keep on looking out for each other!!



(4)
There you are
Sitting on top of the world
There you are looking ahead of you on a clear day
Keep your eyes on the prize
Tell yourself
I can do it
We can do it
Nothing can stop us
If we keep on trying and trying

(5)
To be a child
full of innocence
To be a child
full of hope
To be a child
full of questions
To be a child
full of energy
To be a child
full of love
To be a child
to be a child
is an experience
to be enjoyed
because it never lasts forever

(6)

Remember
every time
you wake up from a nightmare
That
even the darkest night
Can not keep
the new day from breaking
Remember
every time
you are bullied or picked on
That
even the longest winter
Can not
prevent the spring from coming
Remember
every time
you stumble and fall
That
even the heaviest snowstorm
Can not
stop the flowers from growing
Remember
To smile
through your tears
Knowing that the future is bright
And you are that future

(7)
Success
Is about working like a donkey
for what you want
Success is not an accident
That happens by chance
Success is not like buying a Lotto 649 ticket
Success is patience
Success is hard work
Success is humility
Success is discipline
Success is focus

(8)
Smile
from ear to ear
Show all your teeth
Laugh until you can feel it
in your belly
Jump for joy
Dance with bliss
Skip for the thrills
Summer is here
And you deserve
To have some fun
After all those
Serious days
Working tirelessly
On your homework
Making sure you
Stay on top of things
At the top of your class
With your straight As
Smile from ear to ear
Laugh until your ribs hurt
Jump for joy
Have some fun
For you have earned it!!


(9)

yesterday you were
an infant
crawling on all fours
today you proudly lift
your baby brother

yesterday you displayed
the gap
left by your departed milk teeth
today you are revving up
for your school’s athletic championships

(10)

sankie
life is a wonderful journey
and in this journey
years and decades
separate our innocent mornings
from our wise evenings

(11)

give thanks to your mother
for she has sheltered and protected you
more than any other person in the world
give thanks to your mother
for she breathed life into you and nurtured you
for nine months inside her body
and all the years since then
give thanks to your mother
for she loves you
give thanks to your mother
for she lives for you
give thanks to your mother
she holds your hands and nurses you
tucks you to sleep and feeds you when you wake up
give thanks to your mother
for she is your teacher, your doctor, your trainer and your shield
give thanks to your mother
for there are millions who have no mother to thank
hug your mother whenever you get a chance
snuggle with your mother whenever you get a chance
Listen to her for she will never do anything to hurt you
Your mother is a wonderful human being
Don’t take her for granted


(12)

even though i live hundreds of miles
away from you
you live inside me each and every hour of every day
even though cities and provinces separate us
my love for you glues me to you for now and ever more
I miss you every single day
I love you,
yes you, my lovely, intelligent wonderful son
I look forward to the hours we spend together
walking through parks and by the lake front
travelling between toronto and montreal
teasing and tricking each other
hey, take care and till the next time I see you
your loving dad.

(13)

Last night I had a dream about you, my son
Last night I dreamt that you were all grown up
I saw you standing tall, dressed in wonderful African robes
I saw you smile as you spoke to the hundreds of people
Who had come to listen to you
And they heard what you had to say and they nodded
their heads vigorously in agreement
Last night I had a dream about you, my son
And you doing the right things for our people
And even though it was just a dream
I smiled with tears of joy lingering in my eyes

(14)

There are those
Who will put you down
Because of the colour of your skin
There are those who will turn you down
Because of the texture of your hair
There are those
Who will keep you away because of your unique names
Yes, kids of African descent
There are those in this world
who are bigots
There are those in this world
who are racist
There are those in this world
Who are xenophobic
Boys, when you meet such people
Ignore them, pay them no mind
You are bigger than them
Because nothing but hate, spite and envy
Lives in their unkind hearts
Don’t wast e your energy hating them back
You’ve got better things to do don’t you now
Remember
Africa is the home of all humankind
Remember our great great grandmothers and grandfathers
Helped to make Canada and America what they are to day
Our people gave the world jazz, poetry blues, reggae, hip hop and much more
Our people contributed to science and technology
We are proud of all our achievements not only in sports
But all other human endeavours
We never said w e are better than anybody
But we will never accept that we are inferior to anybody
So boys, keep your heads up, walk proudly as African Canadian youth