Building Blocks

I sure miss my sister
She’s moving away.
Pretty soon, all her things will be gone.
Her room next to mine
Will be empty and echo.
Today, she was married to John.

She says she and John
Have been building a house.
All the walls are these bricks made of prayer
So no earthquake or flood
Can tear down their new home
Since it’s built with such strong, loving care.

The wedding was wonderful!
Flowers and friends
Filled the room and spilled out on the lawn.
Lots of people said prayers
And I felt their home grow
As bricks piled up for Jessie and John.

When she left, Jessie whispered,
“You’re part of me always.”
She hugged me real tight on her way.
Then I whispered back,
“I’ll sing ‘O Son of Man!’
And build blocks for your house every day.”

I still miss my sister
But she was quite right.
We really are not far apart
Because when I’m building
Some bricks with my prayers,
I can feel her right here in my heart.

Building Blocks PDF

Grandpa’s Hat

High up in my room was an old sailor hat
Just gathering dust on the shelf,
And sometimes I wondered just why it was there,
And why it was all by itself.

One day, I was working at being a pirate
And took that hat down for my head.
The dust was so thick that I sneezed, “Ker-ty-shoo!”
And it flew back behind my old bed.

“Yo ho ho,” I cried out. “No old cloth hat for me.
I’ll find something more grand with a feather.”
So I rummaged around, and I found what I wanted—
A mighty hat all made of leather.

One day, my old grandpa came by to say hi,
And he visited me where I play.
So I put on my pirate clothes, “Hardy har har,”
While he signed up as mate for the day.

“When I were a lad, I sailed far,” Grandpa said,
“And the fittest of craft it were, too.
I wore on me head a white hat made of cloth
And me dress suit was all navy blue.

“O the people I rescued, the dolphins I saved,
And the whales I helped turn from their death.
I’ll never forget serving on the high seas,
And ‘tis proud I’ll be ‘til me last breath.”

Just then, I remembered the hat on the floor.
I ducked under and brought it to light.
My grandfather’s eyes started twinkling and sparkling
Like stars on a crisp, cloudless night.

“I miss seeing this fella,” he said with a wink.
“Thought maybe you’d thrown it away.
This old hat is worth more than me whole weight in gold,
Though it’s starting to turn a bit gray.

“Now, it used to be here,” and he pointed way up,
Then stood stretching and dusting the shelf
‘Til the hat was returned to its most honored place
In the highest spot, all by itself.

Now grandpa comes up to my room every day
And he always has stories to tell
About sailing the seas, about bold, loving deeds,
And the hat that he still loves so well.

Grandpa’s Hat PDF

Family Fun

Just once a year, my family
Decides to break a rule.
We pick a hot, hot August day
Before we’re back in school.

Instead of dinner, we pile in
Our car to take a ride.
We stop before the ice cream store
And all end up inside.

“I’ll have vanilla!” “Mocha chip!”
“Mine’s tutti frutti lite!”
Then out we go to taste and crunch up
Every single bite.

We slurp each drip and lick all round.
We burp sometimes, or hum.
We always laugh and smile about
More flavors that could come:

Superman and bubble gum
Mint double fudge royale,
White House cherry, maple mousse,
And caramel fudge lo-cal.

That’s not the end. O no it’s not!
We’re soon inside the store,
Each choosing one more yummy cone.
Then maybe just one more.

When finally we’ve had our fill,
We head home to our beds.
We stretch out full and dream of fun
And ice cream in our heads.

It’s such a treat to go to sleep
With stomachs round and cool.
I love our one-time ice cream meal
Before we’re back in school.

Family Fun PDF

Lost and Found

I thought I lost my shoe today.
It hid and made me late for play.
I searched and searched and found it where
I’d left it, underneath my chair.

I thought I lost my tooth today.
It fell right on my bed and lay
Right there ‘til Jessie jumped on top.
We found it with the duster mop.

I thought I lost my dog today.
I told him that he had to stay
And wait for me. But he forgot.
I found him in the parking lot.

I thought I lost my star today.
“We’ll find it, hon,” I heard Mom say.
And do you know? My mom was right.
It’s shining where it was last night.

I thought I lost my heart today.
I prayed so hard it flew away.
I missed my heart until I saw
It cradled by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

I lost so many things today.
My dad says some days go that way.
So I’m confused. Which can it be?
Did I lose them, or they lose me?

Lost and Found PDF