On the Edge of Seventeen

Sunday, May 31st, is my son's 17th birthday. He is a writer and has often written me poems for my birthday or Mother's Day. This year, I decided to write him a poem. See if you can recognize my inspiration!

All the Difference

So much depends
upon
a baby boy
the one and only
baby boy
who made all the
difference

So much depends
upon
a toddling boy
the one and only
toddling boy
who lights the
room
with his laugh and his
smile

So much depends
upon
a little boy
the one and only
little boy
who loves to
swing
and rub
tummies
with his
dad

So much depends on a
young boy
the one and only
young boy
who has fun playing
soccer
and sighs over
books
with his
mom

So much depends on a
young man
the one and only
young man
who runs like a
champion
and loves to
sing
in the
bathroom

So much depends on a
son
our one and only
son
who has made all the
difference
in our
lives

Yes, you guessed it--William Carlos Williams. But, also, Love That Dog.

Beside each stanza, I put pictures that depict that particular time in his life. I hope he likes it. In the words of Walter Dean Myers, "[I] Love that boy."