Quarter Century Club

Written
1999

 Can it be?

A quarter century already?

Why, just the other day

         I sat on the diving board

         and heard I was to be

          the youngest GP in town

Perfect timing on her part

         any earlier and it would have

         been a miracle,

         later and she would

         still be in college.

The cost of having her

 for a quarter century was cheap.

I just had to be a very young Grandpa

I learned to boast that

         I was the youngest Grandpa in town.

"You're too young"

"You have to be kidding!"

"Gee, your daughter looks just like you."

No grey, no limp, no cane

         the perfect time

to have a granddaughter.

Off to kindergarten

         past Lake Dorian

         every teacher and principal

         an old friend.

Start a campus school,

         sign up a student or two,

         recruit a talented teacher.

Watch the perfect child

         do homework without a prompt

         clean up the mess and

         get home early.

Lead a cheer for all of us.

What a joy, what a fun time

         trying not to be proud

         of what she did alone.

Easy job to raise a granddaughter

         when she does all the work

         and I have all the pleasure.

The second act

         in the next quarter century

         can try to do better, but!

 

 

Notes
I wrote this when Dorian turned 25. She now has Alexandra-Alex who is about six months. I am a young great grandfather.