Your Heart and Soul

They arrive, the little bundles of joy
They are your heart, your soul

As sleep overcomes them in those early days
You lay them down, yet stay by the door to watch 
They are your heart, your soul

You teach them to walk, and talk
You teach them to laugh and cry
You teach them to love and respect
They are your heart, your soul

They grow. You send them off to school.
Yet you still stand by the door to watch
They are your heart, your soul

Their childhood passes. You continue to teach
Values, beliefs, good and evil, right and wrong
They are your heart, your soul

The day comes when you teach but they no longer learn
You watch them spread their wings and move on
Yet you still stand by the door and watch.
They are your heart, your soul

They make choices, good and bad
They choose paths you might not have
You try to teach in the hopes that some day they will hear
They are your heart, your soul

Then that one-day arrives when
all the choices are taken away
to walk and talk, to laugh and cry
to love and respect – all taken away

As they are laid to rest that one last time
You stand by the door and watch
They are your heart, your soul



                                                                Ritz