Bobb

Bobb
Today is your birthday
Stages of you are
indelible
on my mind
Your beautiful curls
"Lila, he looks just like
a girl,"
My friend Anna scolded
So off went the curls
Playing with Kimbo
Going on furlough
Suddenly sick one night
in New York
High temperature
But you'd be all right
"to declare the glory of God"
I was assured.
Back in Tokyo
Dad registered you
for nursery school
you were only 3 1/2 years old
But you thrived
on bus travel and school
Then Japanese kindergarten
at Eifuku Cho
The only gaijin
What a time we had
Notes, directions, data
all in Japanese
Then C.A.J.
New friends
New challenges
You held the door once
while Andy stuck out his tongue
at the teacher
She was a tough one
But taught you beautiful
penmanship
The little violins
you and Kimbo played
hang on our wall now.
You were practicing
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
when a telegram came
Grandpa went to heaven,
it said
There were parties
And the play when you
carried a shield
Recitals
You played the piano for
6th grade graduation
When did pole vaulting
take over?
And walking on your hands
across the gym floor
You still hold the record for that!
Remember when you slipped out
a window at school
and took off for somewhere...
And got a detention
Were you class president then??
Was that when you
were called "Maito?"
The 1,977 5-yen pieces
strung on your wall
That day finally came
You took them to a bank
It was 1977!
Graduation from high school
You and Jim traveled across America
Prepared to meet robbers
at every turn
You met only cordial
relatives
and farm animals
College time came
The bass guitar stage was fun
Your music group
traveled to churches
Again a Montana trip
you, Kimbo and Jim
But you were itchy to get back
The reason?
You had just met a special girl...
you wrote your Dad
that you didn't know her well yet
but "give me time." You came back to Tokyo
She came to Tokyo
One day I was making the beds
You came upstairs and asked
"Mom, what do you think if I ask Georgia
to marry me?"
You two went out for dinner
at the New Otani
A call came, "All went as scheduled."
Dad and I got flowers
and we had a party when you 2 got home
at midnight
You graduated together
And then the beautiful wedding
June, 1982
Lots of memories; lots of challenges ahead
Today on your birthday.....
know that we love you and your Georgia more than words can say
And pray God's continual guidance, blessing on you two.