TEN GIFTS
In the year of Our Lord Nineteen Hundred Forty Seven;
We thought we'd reached what we called Heaven.

September the twenty eighth was our wedding day,
Little did we know the dues we'd have to pay!

We pined for three months for a newborn babe;
And nine months later our blonde blue-eyed boy was made.

Jim was a joy from his head to his feet;
We thought that our family must be complete.

But lo and behold just fifteen months later;
To another little boy our hearts were to cater.

Tom entered our lives full of bluster and fun;
And many a heart in his life he has won.

Imagine the shock just eighteen months later;
When the doctor exclaimed there are two in there.
Jim and Tom had our twins John and Joan to share;

Two happy babies though not much alike.
Always ready to share a hug that was tight;

"Enough is enough", we were both heard to say.
But remember the dues that we both had to pay?

Yes, fourteen months later along came Sue.

We were so happy a cutie was she;
A little girl so carefree and free.

O.k.  Dear God, this must be the end!
But someone was waiting around the bend, five years to be exact.
Kathy's beautiful voice soon became quite a fact;

When two years passed and we both breathed "Whew!"
It was then we found out that another was due.

A dimpled-cheeked Tim did now join the group;
It was time to add more water to the kettle of soup.

We never got tired of Tim's funny chuckle;
It made us all laugh, right down to our buckles.

"Uh OH!" Said God, time's just right for another;
So He sent to our family a new little brother.

Danny joined in as he had no choice;
Everyone loved his high squeaky voice.

We said, "By gosh this must be the end."
But you guessed it, two more did He lend.

Next came our Joe, brown eyes bright and shiny;
Never a day was he fussy or whiny.

Last but not least our son Michael was born;
He arrived on one early September morn.

A smile that was glued from ear to ear;
He carried it with him year after year.

The years have flown by for each girl and each guy;
The bonds of true love we hope we did tie.

To last a whole lifetime for them to pass on;
Today and tomorrow, long after we're gone.
This poem about my family.