~ A Baby's Hug ~

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too
short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik.
My husband and I
exchanged looks, 'What do we do?'
Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'
Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya
patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.'
Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.
My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in
turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.
We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.

I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'
Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.'
I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity.
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children.'
If this has blessed you, please bless others by sending it on. Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are.
This one is a keeper.
'It is better to be liked for the true you, than to be loved for who people think you are......'

nicely put txs. I almost forgot about the windows to the soul.

I arrested her lastnight. The zoo called and said a man was making the gorillas upset but when I asked for his I.D. the picture was the same but the gender was female... I had to have a female bodybuilding officer come to my aid.

Yea I wish I would take my own advise sometimes

well I say the truth because it is how alot of us feel. And the heart tells the truth you just have to be able to understand one's heart.

On the contrary. It is places like this that God takes us to test our faith. This poem symbolyzes that faith and shows how even in the worst of worst, if you keep faith in Christ no harm will come to. Jesus dying on the cross is the symbol of him taking our place in this valley of the shadow of death. Remember Death is the rider of the pale horse that is followed close by Hell and is one of the Seven Seals opened by the Lamb that was given power over a fourth of the earth. Revalations 6:8

you should check out my group then.

why don't you like it, leticia?

Have you ever heard of a site called facebook.com. Well I am a participant of this site and I have a group on this site known as I Like Poetry. If you want, I would appreciate it if you would go check it out. My name is Brian Johnson and I am the creator of this group on facebook.com. Just enter in my email address drumsbaj@hotmail.com and you can join the group and add your poetry on to it. Once again I appreciate it.

"Painful Pleasure"

As I walked through the valley of the shadow of death,
I could see its figure and smell its breath.
He stood tall and slouched,
His body half human and half serpant with a forked tongue in its mouth.
As he stood in the shadows of my fate,
He drew me in with a sad look on his face.
The closer I approached,
A knot began to form in my throat.
There were bodies scattered below and above,
His eyes were stained with the color of blood.
I could feel his eyes gazing straight through me,
Only my soul and nothing else he could see.
Closer and closer he drew me to his arm,
With the look in his eye to cause me no harm.
I could not hide the fear for he smelled it on my skin,
He smiled as if to sooth me before a lake of fire he threw me with in.
Now I am stuck burning alive,
With the look of desperation in my eyes.
I can't get out there's nowhere to hide,
I guess this is the place God chose for me to die.
But I don't give up and I don't lose my faith,
Which is when my savior comes to take my place.
He wraps me in his arms,
And asures me no harm.
And when I wake up in bed,
I thank God I'm not dead.

Well I guess I'm the newest member to this who feasco. My name is Brian and I'm 21 from Oklahoma. I am a police officer in a very small town known as Geary and I live in a not as small but small town we like to call Watonga because that's its name... But anywho I would love to tell all of you anything about me just ask and your wish is my command.

haha!!! I keep my toothbrush locked in my medicine mirror in the bathroom. No airborne particals getting in there I hope. But thanks for the info.

Aww Jess, you never siese to amaze me. I have not yet become my job but I can't yet say whether I will or not. I hope not because I have seen several in my hometown that it has happened to and I wish I could put them back in their place as human beings. I don't judge people even as a cop. Its not my place on or off duty. I am a Law Enforcement Officer not a judge. I hate people who hide behind the badge just as those who hide behind friends with a badge. Anybody that knows me knows I don't use authority to my advantage. I just do my job.

Yes they are more than the job but it depends on the person and how they see themselves. I've seen people in my line of work take it to their head and treat everyone else like scum. I vowed never to do that. I watched my family fall apart behind very bad things and for their sake and others I watched have their lives taken from, I chose my career when I was young and never gave up til I got it.

very good man. keep it up.

I love my job and it is one that everybody hates at one point in their life.

Thank you Tee-Tee

No problem Txs. Thank you for the truth.

Thank you all.

thanks Truth your's was off the chain to kid.