Wednesday, March 31, 2010

To Angus On His 13th Birthday

THERE WAS A COMET the night before you were born.
I’ll never forget that.

It was dark and it was cool but the song of spring was riffling through the breeze, whispering, promising. It was the first day of April, just after Easter, just after midnight, and the stars and Comet Hale-Bopp lit up the country-dark sky with stars like exploding fireworks.

As we drove to the hospital I looked up into the night and burned the memory of that brilliant sky onto my organic hard drive, relentlessly wired in that moment to deliver my first child into a shower of white lights, black sweetness and straight fear.

How perfect was that night.

How exquisite is that child.

Now poised on the precipice of a new journey, I worry not because he is walking under a canopy of heaven, my son, with stardust at his anointed feet.


9 comments:

  1. this is beautiful. i think that says enough.

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  2. Simply beautiful. It made my heart smile.

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  3. Such a lovely way to describe the birth of your first child.
    And such a handsome lad too!

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  4. Just achingly beautiful!

    What a lovely way to honor the birth of your son.

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  5. What a nice tale. I remember watching the comet from London that night.

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  6. "black sweetness and straight fear," and it is always that way...

    This is beautiful - and so is he.

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