Once a little prince

Sitting on a stool in Game Knight

A gaming bar in Hamilton Ohio

Watching the bearded boy play drums

Frank and Hunter with maroon guitars

Sam’s guitar Is green.

The music fills the room like torrential rain

Thunderous drums, ululating guitars, mumbled vocals.

I see the tiny body hooked up to wires

In a glass incubator as warning blue lights go off

I hear the two year old voice, “I am trying to be pacific!”

I see the oxygen mask flipping down on the three year old nose

As he goes under for dental surgery- too much bottled milk

I see six people jumping to save him from running towards the elephant’s foot

I see the five year old puffed face after the poison ivy fall

I see the ostrich march across the football field for marching band

I see screaming joy as he swooshes down on the Beast rollercoaster

I see the handsome prince singing on stage in Into the Woods

I hear the grumpy butt voice as he searches for keys and wallet

I hear the laughter as he sits outside with friends around the fire

I see him racing down subway steps in New York as I try to keep up

I see him ascending the escalator as he leaves for a solo flight across the world

I hear the piano gently responding to his tentative fingers

I hear the sometimes angry, sometimes soft drums

He won’t be nineteen long.