Birthday Poem

Every year my dad writes me a poem on my birthday...

This poem is for the vivacious baby blue
As she crosses an important threshold too

So you want to practice for the GRE
Your age is now 3! + 3…

Though her eyes on the license dob she tries to averty
There’s no turning back, she’s really reached 30!
And with that sweet smile, she’s often a little flirty

Rewind the tape to 1977 in Albuquerque
It’s an Indian name, not really that quirky
Got the call at 430AM, when I’d finished my night shift worky

Went to the hospital and got all the admission forms done
Ahead of the arrival of Grammy and her Mom’s for some “fun”

At 620AM she came into view
Announcing her presence loudly and clearly, she cried too

Back in Burke, in the 1979, the 2 foot snow
The drifts were over her head, we have the pictures to show

So she got another sister
And then a little brother, the Mr.

Some winter sports like sledding
Then rolling off while hitting your heading

Another thing which we brought out of the locker
In the snow, we played family soccer

In her Gammy’s pool with her cousins
She swam around and had lots of funzins

The jump off the diving board at Wakefield park
So you’d get used to swimming in the deep, just like a shark

The beach vacations to the ocean
We went into the surf and used lots of sun tan lotion

Then came the call, Jon’s on the roof
We said, “hold the ladder so he won’t break his tooth.”

Driving to school when steering the car was way too much work
When her brother took the fuse out…what a j..k

Took great snorkel trips together, some really great paths
To Eleuthera and then to BVI and the baths



Thru mud and rain and shine the music would play, that’s what we told you
And all those feet would march yet another day at LB or JMU
And march they did ‘til their legs felt like lead
While having an occasional instrument hit her on the head

You’ve moved around with your jobs like most young workers do
Doing the best when helping people one on one, because that’s you

She’s brings MANY more talents to the table
An old time sci-fi actress named Sarah Burnbagel

And there’s always h – h –h, that brought her alive
Started going to games with her Dad when she was about 5
Lots of ups and downs
Many smiles and sometimes there’s frowns
Watching the puck go in with a flick
She watched a very, very special Caps’ hat trick
Being able to say she was part of the crowd
For Ovie’s first NHL hat trick, she shouted out loud

She found a friend who likes to play with the mitten
The furry white ball, Ari the kitten

She’s now got that glow it’s very, very good to see
She seems very happy to her Mom and me
The reason we can say as we hasten
Is her friend and man named Jason

What else can I say
To brings you more hugs today?

This poem is ending WAY too soon
For thousands more rhymes, there’s lots more room
Like she’s half as old as her Dad
In other b’day years, that ½ figure will be harder to had

But I’ll just sign off and say
We love our Deb in every way!

Love, Your Dad


Yeah, okay, so some of the rhymes are a bit of a stretch, but isn't he sweet?