Baby Tears

My friends all said, “He’ll grow so fast,
You’ll hardly count the years.”
But still I couldn’t wait until
You grew out of baby tears.
I wanted you to take a step,
I wanted you to talk,
And learn to run and jump before
The others on the block.
And when you cried and ran to me,
I kissed you better, though
Part of my mind wished for the day
When I could call you grown.
“I’ll finally get some housework done,
I’ll have some time for me –
I’ll have a long talk on the phone
And sip a cup of tea.”
And sometimes I was cross with you,
And I said, “Act your age!”
But now those years have come and gone,
Marked only on this page.
I wish now I could turn back time
To your first smiles and tears,
And savor every moment
Of those precious baby years.