My Daughter's Hand Poem by Steven Taylor

my first born child, my oldest girl
my heart, my soul, my life,
has offered a man her soft hand
to hold on as his wife

and as her father, I must now
relinquish her young hand
so that she can start a family in
a different house, … in a different land

but before I do, let me reflect
back on the times gone bye;
i need to share our history, ..
and forgive me if I cry.

in may of 1980, in the middle of the night
my baby girl came in this whirl
so much to my delight, ...
i was there when she took her first breath, ...

it was a supernatural sight

a bald head, brown skin Gemini
the apple of her daddy’s eye
my fat and jolly, rolly polly
smiling, cryin, diaper defiling
pecious piece of pumpkin pie

born in Virginia, ... I recall
her first ride solo on a bike….
her first day on a bus to school, , , ,
such a darling little tike

new orleans, spring of 88
the pink easter dress she wore
we strolled the quarter, … hand on hand
such beauty they’d not seen before.

we toured the streets of disney land,
rode jet skis in the sun,
took deep sea fishing trips you know…
out in the Gulf of Mexico.

we’ve had our differences and trials,
shared laughter, heartache, tears and smiles,
separated by two thousand miles, ...
yet I knew all the while,
that nothing could defile
the love and trust that God bestows
between a father and his first born chile

so… as her father, I will now
release my daughter's hand
and like a brick wall I will stand
behind them both to help them with
the future you have planned

the vows they take, the love they share,
the future henceforth they now they swear
that come what may, they face as one, ..
that for each other they will care,
that in each other's corner,
they will constantly be there

this is what God has planned
and I pray both of them
their love will,
the universe expand