Early awakening

There's this funny way you look
when you are trying to make me laugh
you twinkle your eyes up at me
your nose crinkles and I notice freckles
your lips go lopsided and I see laughter
bubbling up although the punchline is far off.

It staggers me how the humour you have at 5
makes me laugh uproariously at 45, and at 5.05am
which is much too early but still I scoot over
and let you in under the duvet where I hold the torch
while you make shadow animals for me on the wall
which I guess at and too often get so wrong.

Then we whisper of hurricanes and tornadoes
your latest in a long long line of obsessions
and I try to introduce monsoons, but you won't have it
they really aren't the same thing at all apparently
which I won't have so we creep down to get
the big science book to check, what do you know?

But somehow creeping back up the stairs
we make just a little too much noise
and there is rumpled William ready to play.
Let the mayhem commence clear the duvet to the floor
make room for jumping and leaping
have you danced at 5.30am with 2 small boys?

And even as we dance and sing I look over
and you shrug your shoulders at me as if to say
well there's so many ways to have fun aren't there?
And I know just what you mean, for in that moment
I see something of the wonderful man you will become
to let your little brother dictate what was just yours.

The noise builds as laughter ensues and what fun
looking at play as it should be done with abandon
and yet the wildness is somehow tamed
by the knowledge that these are loved boys
who know that fun can be had pretty much at any time
if you can just be persuaded to jump and laugh

All too soon it's time for work and I must leave
but not before gigantic cuddles that knock me down
and more clambering around to get back up
for kisses and smackeroos done with great gusto
and waves at the window which set me up
and feel better than any prescription medication.