LifeSoup by Cherie Dawn Haas

As seen in my book titled “Personified: Poetry, Prose, Short Stories, and Words of Advice for Young People”

My First Son’s First Dance
A poem by Cherie Dawn Haas

It’s difficult to put into words
How it feels to see you growing up
But this is how it felt
When your first girlfriend, first date
Arrived at our house for pictures
I cried a tiny bit, then got it together.

Her hair twisted in braids, roses tucked in 
And you, dapper in dress pants, shirt, tie
Your blue eyes nervous
Looking into my blue eyes, excited and loving.

You let me teach you to dance —
One reason I know you’re so in love
First loves rarely last, and I never want
Your heart to break, so we’ll ignore that for now 
At this moment, which is all we ever have,
I hope you’re dancing together.

In the meantime, I’ll add to my
15 years of memories of you
The picture of you smiling as, backlit in the sun, 
You slipped a pink corsage onto her wrist
In such a picture of youth and beauty and love, 
I hope you’ll always
Keep that moment as well.

Review of “Personified:”

“Like Jane Hirshfield, Cherie Dawn Haas is a poet whose inspiration is a life thoroughly lived. With crystal clear language and warm, pastoral imagery, Haas welcomes the reader into her home with love and family, music and dance, chickens and dogs and all of the joy and heartbreak of rural life. Personified is a hot meal served on a cool evening, sumptuous in detail, rich in flavor, complex in its simplicity. This is a collection to cherish.” • Nathan Singer, author of The Song in the Squall and Chasing the Wolf