Anak - My Child

I knew not how His promise would become so real,

But when I first held your tiny, helpless form,

My tears of joy flowed unrestrained,

Because I never could have hoped to hold again

My child.

As then I watched you grow,

From a baby to a tiny child,

I rejoiced in each amazing change, 

And as our eyes met and you learned to smile,

I knew that you were every bit

My child.

The first words that you learned to say,

You'd heard from me so many times each day,

And as your tiny lips released that sweet, clumsy response,

I heard the words, "I love you" from

My child

You call me 'Dadda' now

And stumble round me with your tiny feet,

But I trust your faltering footsteps will soon follow me,

Because I want the best for you,

My child

I wake each morning just to see your joyful face,

And hold your giggling body in my arms again,

And as each day comes to an end, I love to see asleep

Your tiny curly head and strain to hear the gentle breath of

My child

I know I'll pass too soon to see what you'll become,

But I pray each day that you will reach that place.

That God the Father holds in store for you

And that you always may be while I still hold breath -

My child.

To my Amalia (צדקה) : because God has made me forget all my trouble and my father’s house. 15/12/21

The Child Of Promise

I don't want to lay her down to sleep,

Though I hear her gentle breathing,

I want this day to last forever,

With my baby in my arms.

I don't want to close my eyes,

And have to wait until tomorrow,

By her cradle I could kneel,

Until the light of a new day.

But another day dawns,

And the tiny arms quiver,

As she cries for the breast,

That will nourish her pain.

But as each new morn breaks,

And I quickly grow older,

I will pray I will be strong,

For the child of promise.

I had waited for so long,

As the world changed oh, so quickly, 

So the aged ones all passed on,

And little boys became strong men.

And as the seasons turned around,

We forgot that we grew older,

But our time, it grew much shorter,

And our strength turned into dust. 

But another day dawns,

I see the smile of my baby,

And she says her first words,

And she takes her first steps.

But as each new morn breaks,

Though I quickly grow older,

I will pray to be strong,

For the child of promise.

I hope I'll be able to protect her,

Raise her noble, good and true,

Most of all, that she'll know my Saviour,

For I know He'll bring her through.

Now I dream she stands before me,

A lovely daughter, fully grown,

Even though I'm aged and feeble,

I can hear her whispered words.

Yet another day dawns,

I see a woman sitting by me,

Now she says her final words,

And she holds me in her arms.

For as the new morn finally breaks,

And I will never more be older,

I will stand before Him there,

As the child of promise.

The Gate of the Day

I once stood on the threshold of the gate of the day,

The old world behind me, the new one begun,

And he took hold of my shoulders and I heard him say,

You enter this home now, you're not come to stay,

As a visitor here but as my very own son,

As my tears fell, I knew my heart had been won.

As the years past, I drifted from village to city,

As I followed my fortunes and tried hard to succeed,

But the words that were spoken at that moment of pity,

Would brighten my pathway through much enmity,

And strengthen my faith, my soul then to lead,

To a future unknown, but a path clear indeed.

My father now stands at the gate of the day,

How long he will linger, I sure cannot tell,

But as he walks onward, I constantly pray,

That the pathway be smooth all the rest of the way,

And the journey be glorious, the sunset look swell, 

For I know that his Father's door's open as well.

Matthew 25:35

Dedicated to Leon Smith