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Oh, the Days
Oh, the days of poop and vomit!
My best dress had drool upon it
While I walked my teething child
Up and down the hall for miles.
Oh, the days of poop and vomit!
When the baby chose to not sit
In a high chair during dinner;
I couldn’t eat, but wasn’t thinner.
Oh, the days of poop and vomit!
And another toddler big fit
Putting to the test my mettle;
What a force from one so little!
Oh, the days of poop and vomit!
From my lowly “Woe is me” pit
I claimed my right as baby’s mama
To have a bit of daytime drama.
Oh, the days of poop and vomit!
I indulged. I will admit it,
Gloried in those morning snuggles
Before I danced the housework shuffle.
Oh, the days of poop and vomit!
When my boy thought I had some wit.
“Peekaboo” he found hilarious
And my mommy ways, mysterious.
Oh, the days of poop and vomit!
I didn’t realize their merit—
While I didn’t mollycoddle,
I intercepted tons of troubles.
Oh, the days of poop and vomit!
Now I pray his car won’t get hit
By the crazies on the road
As he carries his own load.
Oh, the days of poop and vomit
They were tough upon my wallet;
But mother‘s love can’t be outspent.
I, from my empty nest, lament—
Oh, the days of poop and vomit,
You cannot put a price upon it.
I did not know its worth back then,
Poof! Quick as kisses, boys are men!
.
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Gigi Ryan is a wife, mother, grandmother, and home educator. She lives in rural Tennessee.
This is great fun – and FYI my youngest son is visiting me this Saturday so we can visit the Oceanarium with his 20 month old daughter – so a bit of a longing return to his childhood through my granddaughter. And love the last line”” Poof! Quick as kisses, boys are men!” Quick as kisses is a wonderful metaphor for the process.
Thank you, James.
I too treasure reliving my children’s childhoods through my grandchildren.
Enjoy the Oceanarium and Happy New Year!
Gigi
Gigi, another admirable poem with a creative rhyme scheme throughout with the first two lines of each verse rhyming with the first two lines of other verses.
This is a wonderful and precious ode to motherhood that is precious and cleverly presented.
Dear Roy,
Thank you. I am glad the preciousness of that season comes out, though I mostly reminisce about the harder parts in this poem. I have no regrets about the many years of my life devoted to that season.
Gigi
‘The days of poop and vomit.’ That’s what we all should call them! And yep, that final line is definitely the icing on the cake.
Thanks for the read, Gigi
Dear Paul,
Thank you for commenting – I am glad this poem is relatable!
Gigi
Such a sweet poem, Gigi! Indeed, those days of motherhood are priceless. Thank you for gracing us with this poem on the beginning of the year. Happy New Year!
Dear Shamik,
Thank you for commenting, and Happy New Year to you as well!
Gigi
As I’m sure you have, Gigi, taking and carefully guarding the photos you’ve taken, and videos if possible, of one’s loved ones over the years, are, IMO, among the first few things to grab ‘when the fire starts’! ‘Poop & vomit’ – what a sweet, though controversial-memory-triggering, read. 🙂 Enjoy the new year.
Dear Mark,
Regarding photos, the typical complaint of the younger children in the family is the dearth of photos of them. Yet, because my youngest had teenage siblings, and I got a smart phone when he was about 4, there are way more photos of my ninth child than of my first.
Happy New Year!
Gigi
here’s our daughter’s Jennies infant song, with a different olfactory orientation:
What makes babies smell so subtle?
what makes babies smell so sweet?
Weebies, weebies, weebies, weebies,
smell like some delicious treat.
How much does your Daddy love you?
what can babies do with that?
Love from daddies never made a
baby milky, full or fat.
How much does your Mommy love you?
babies all can do with that.
Love from Mommy makes a baby
happy, milky, full, and fat.
summer 1986.
Dear Fred,
That poem is definitely the opposite perspective. 🙂 Thank you for sharing. I am sure it feels like yesterday.
Gigi
I never imagined that there were so many possible rhymes for “vomit.” Every mother must know that keeping a baby clean and sweet is an endless task of love.
This is a delightful poem of sheer, unstinting love and fun — and of the eternal and irreplaceable value of motherhood.
Dear Joseph,
I never imagined I would write a poem and need so many words to rhyme with “vomit.” I used to think that formal poetry had to have formal topics, but clearly that is not the case.
The “eternal and irreplaceable value of motherhood” is something I still cannot wrap my mind completely around. Thank you for commenting.
Gigi
Gigi, I absolutely love the raw realism of this poem that taps into the miracle of motherhood with poetic clout! I can relate to every honest line, and I am certain many readers will feel the same. Thank you!
Dear Susan,
It was Erma Bombeck that introduced me to “raw realism.” I was able to see through her sarcasm and joking to her deep love of her children. I really believe my desire to have children started when I read her books as a 12 year old.
Thank you for your encouraging words.
Gigi