September 3, 2023

From Gerald R. Lucas

Leica SL and Ultron 2/28.
Henry Is Eight!

Another year has come and gone,
And Henry has now turned eight!
He is a big man on campus—
He’ll even tell you he’s great.

He’s a stylish dude
and dresses with flair,
But his mom just wishes
He would trim up his hair.

He has too many interests,
But the screen might be prime;
He would practice his piano
If he could just find the time.

A gregarious guy,
He has many stories to tell,
But won’t eat his dinner,
Because it has a weird smell.

He likes playing in the park,
But he loves Netflix more—
And Legos, Minecraft, Pokémon, Bluey,
Yes, he likes those, too, all four!

His room is still messy,
And he refuses to clean.
He’s creative in the kitchen,
But eating Dad’s meals he’s not keen.

He tries lots of stuff
Has many projects and art.
He’s a talented guy
Who we’ve seen only start.

He doesn’t like bugs,
Avoids wasps and roaches,
He won’t come outside
If any buzz approaches.

He has many friends,
And his teachers adore him;
He visits Gummy and Poppy,
To run and to play and to swim.

He’s a cool big brother
Who loves the new guy Max,
Still snuggles with his mother
And puts up with Dad’s wise cracks.

He’s a brave traveler,
Loves going to the beach,
But when he plays in the waves,
He’s learned to stay within reach.

He still poses for photos,
Sometimes I get only one,
He has other things to do—
Things that are “so much more fun.”

Did I mention his room,
How it will never get clean?
When we ask him to tidy,
He thinks we’re just mean.

I tease him a lot
’Cause he’s my number-one son.
Though my patience runs thin,
I love him a ton.

Happy birthday, my boy!
I hope you get all you desire.
Keep being yourself,
And carrying that fire.

I love you,
Dad