They thought we'd be good for each other
And arranged for us to meet one another.
Shy at first, not sure what to do
The first date was fun, we were silly,
We talked, we laughed, you invited me in.
We kissed, each holding the other,
Hoping the evening wouldn't end.
Those early days blended so well,
One moved on to the next.
Though the passage of time you could not tell.
As the days slipped by,
You slowly filled my heart.
Though our passions were not the same,
Our souls joined, and I hoped never to part.
You believed as I did,
You sought the joy of creating a family.
To create a new life.
To teach, to give, to fill our hearts
With the smile of a child
To hold a small hand, to love with all our being.
It was late in the summer.
The sun rose, brilliant, a cloudless blue sky,
The air, crisp, cold.
Family, friends gathered on the hill
Thankful for such a perfect day,
With joy in our hearts,
We are welcomed into God's house.
Standing alone, white, with its steeple of gold.
Together we stand, in front of all.
We says our vows, our family, our friends,
With tears of joy, with us and witness,
Celebrate our wedding day.
Our love symbolized by the giving of our rings.
Gold, beautiful, eternal, simple, without end.
To love each other, each breath we breathe,
Each tear we cry, each joy we share,
True companions forever,
Until our lives fade away.
To start a family,
To find the joy being a parent brings.
All those days at the beach or the park
Parents watch their children, pride, warmth,
A smile in their hearts.
A child shouts with glee
A butterfly flips across the sky.
To be part of the circle
To continue life
To pass on what was passed on to us
We enter the circle, our journey begins.
Hannah, filled with grace, mercy and prayer
Was born when the world was still cold
But she brought warmth and joy
Prayers answered, we brought her home.
We have a child, she grabs my finger,
Determined, not letting go.
I can hear her say, I love you, I need you,
Please keep me safe.
We put her to bed,
She is so small, we watch her sleep,
Afraid to turn away, afraid to let go.
Each day that passes, each day she grows
We must learn to let go
We pray the process is slow
That it never ends
But when it does, we hope it's our lives
That are the first to pass away.
Each day we share, are the greatest of all
As I fall asleep each night
I think how thankful I am that this
Child of ours is all right.
First steps, first words,
First Christmas, birthday and the rest.
The years slip by.
Trips to the beach, family parties, a picnic.
The goat eats our lunch.
Hannah falls in the street.
Each smile, joy, each scrapped knee, anger,
Fire berries, each time she tries something new.
We see it through, we are together,
That's what families do.
Something happens, I'm not sure when
We are together, still a family.
I lie in bed, listening to you sleep.
I feel comfort, knowing everyone is safe,
But a distance is there.
I see you, I can touch you,
We make love, but there is nothing there.
As the days go by, the nothingness grows.
Everything looks right,
So nothing must be wrong.
There are no discussions, no fights,
Nothing. The discord grows.
Eventually we begin to realize,
Things just aren't right
We each know where we want to go.
I want my family,
To journey back, learn, relearn.
Find the passion that was lost.
You chose a different course.
You needed to find yourself,
Lost in shadows from the past.
You were not whole, not strong enough,
Your faith in us was gone.
When I think of our lives together,
I think of climbing a mountain.
There for each other, guiding one another,
Missed steps, a helping hand.
Hannah was born when we reached the top.
There we stayed, admired the view.
But soon we began a downward trek,
Somewhere we got out of step.
Still caught up in the view,
Unaware we were drifting apart.
You saw it first.
You chose your own course.
Unable to persuade, there was no choice.
My new path would be alone.
I turned and stepped into the abyss.
Darkness surrounds, there is no going back.
It took a while to complete the fall
I landed in the wilderness.
God was there, he helped me see,
With his help I saw.
This path was meant for me.
So, it can only be true,
Your's was meant for you.
As I look towards the future,
Wondering what lies ahead.
The journey we chose not to take
Is one we still must make.
Not as a couple,
But as parents, for the love of our child.
To show her we are still friends,
There to support each other.
For I am Hannah's father,
You are Hannah's mother,
And we will always be a family.
David Gray
