He rolls up his pajama top,
a signal to caress him,
to sing him to sleep.
Still young enough
to need touch,
still young enough
to ask to be touched
often.
I kneel & sing.
He luxuriates in the ritual,
one of his own design.
middleagedmiddlechild. 
7 responses to “laying on of hands.”
oh, those days. Those days of belly touches, and raspberries and singing to sleep. Thank you (from a mom of 18 and 20 year olds)
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Mine are 13 1/2, 12, and 10 1/2. The loving touch is something else, isn’t it?
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Joel, your poetry is breathtaking. Luxuriating in touch is a primal need. Your children are blessed to have a father who recognizes how these rituals will carry them through life. Thanks for being here during this month’s SOL challenge. You’ve added so much light and reflection to the community.
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thank you so much, friend — reading poetry taught me to recognize the sacred in the everyday : )
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” still young enough
to ask to be touched
often.”
Mine are “nearly 14” and 11 1/2. I can feel the days of asking for touch slipping away from us. Still, some nights when I give a goodnight kiss, I get pulled down for a snuggle or someone asks for a back rub. May these requests stretch on and on.
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My 9 year old loves this sort of bedtime routine too!
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Absolutely make the most of those moments as they don’t last!! This kind of connection never grows old.
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