A little boy

There is a little boy living in my house.

He seems to have sneaked in, unnoticed.
Perhaps he arrived while I was hanging out another load of washing?
Or reading one more page with my daughter.

He may have seen an opportunity while I chopped vegetables for dinner,
And shown up then.

So many little distractions to fill the day, each of them a chance for a small boy to appear from nowhere and demand a biscuit from the press.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was while I nursed the baby.
While his soft cheek nestled close to me.
Those are the moments I was most distracted,
Lost in the amazement of his perfect little form,
His eyes meeting mine contentedly.

He reminds me of the baby, this little boy who is always in a hurry.
That particular knack for teasing smiles from my lips,
The dramatic shouts to be noticed by everyone present,
Those giant eyes sharing the wonder of a world still fresh.

The baby's gummy smiles are gone now. No more the sweet smell of a velvet-soft head.
The hollow of my shoulder lies empty, and floors are unpaced and still.

The little boy shares cuddles with me, 'Hug! Hug!' when he has a moment to stand still.
He seeks my applause to join his own when he has completed his latest daring feat.
He is funny, and cheeky and endlessly entertaining.
But sometimes I still dream of the baby's snuggles.

Ok, little boy, let's go have fun.
But please try not to be in SUCH a hurry, Mammy's trying to catch up.