order, whimsy, and grandchildren

in the audience, behind the scenes

fortune smiles on us,

we have been blessed with two fine sons

who have found the way into their power

with career, partner, and child,

each of which that seems right for them,

now I feel even more fortunate as grandparent,

with less of the heavy lifting behind the scenes,

and more like having good seats in the audience,

as each grandchild comes into her and his power,

I marvel at their minds working—

to understand, to create, to connect,

a confidence of self and will settling into them,

the world made anew as their imagination

releases order and whimsy, with Legos as tools for example,

as with school and camp and team opening doors through which to burst,

a reason that drives me to stay working with students

is that sense of being in the audience, and behind the scenes, too,

as student after student finds the power within

and the path to express it without,

our grandchildren again and again

undo me with the power of their being.

by Henry H. Walker

December 25, ‘18