When the boys were small
And we played
Catch the papoose
Hug the papoose
Crush the papoose
There would be times when
I would forget my own strength
And the gurgles of delight
Would dissolve into
Howls of protest:
You crushed too hard
During
Throw the papoose high
Catch the papoose low
If I were over-cautious
There would be protests:
That's not high enough
I wasn't scared at all
Between the twin pitfalls of
Holding on too tight and
Letting go too loose
We struggle to find
Parenting's middle path
A razor's edge, indeed