Just Because…

Because of the lads and lasses I’ve raised…

I still hear Big Bird singing the alphabet song

Bart Simpson reacting “ay caramba!”

Dora commanding “Swiper, no swiping!”

and SpongeBob declaring “I’m ready!”

Because I grew up with commercials and no streaming…

I never misspell bologna nor mispronounce herb

I soak in bubbles if I want to be taken away

I know how to build a Big Mac

and I want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony

Because I had a unique education…

I know that knuckles and valleys depict the number of  days in a month

the state west of Alabama is spelled with 4 crooked letters and 2 humpbacks

every good boy does fine and all cows eat grass

and never to rest until good is better and better is best

Because of childhood pastimes…

any smooth, flat stone is for hopscotch

the name Simon means “Do it because I say so”

toothpicks are merely short, drab pick-up sticks

and seats suspended by chains still bring butterflies

Because my mama taught me to sing with her guitar…

I believe this land is your land and mine

songs are for singing about love between brothers and sisters

Kumbaya can rock a young child to sleep

and God’s got the whole world in his hands

Because I’ve always had a passion for reading…

my heroes have names like Madeline, Margaret, and Nancy Drew

Henri Nouwen, Mitch Albom, and Frank McCourt

Annie Dillard, Anna Quindlen, and Anne Lamott

and Johns Irving, Grisham, and Boyne

Because of the sound of musicals…

I have confidence to climb every mountain

awake crowing oh what a beautiful mornin’

fall asleep humming the sun’ll come out tomorrow

and dream a dream and all that jazz

Because I appreciate a fine film…

I’m not afraid to love pretty women and beaches

I believe every twenty years or more a star is born

life is beautiful even if the star is a pistol, a legend

and that because of Jesus of Nazareth, there is redemption, even in Shawshank