Oliver Welcome

Welcome, lad, to this strange place called earth,
Your family is one which will cause you much mirth
New Yorkers, your parents, all through and through
The Cape and Salt Lake combined to make you

Salt water to swim in, a beach of fine sand
The Utah high desert a workingman’s land
Lucky you be, with parents like these
Listen and learn and always say please

Grandfathers three you have in your chart
An Updyke, a Hand, and a Sheldon to start,
Cousins galore all ages and types
Great aunties to visit and teach you your rights

Great grandparents you have, one with tattoos,
And three homes on the Cape where you can snooze,
Oh, hours will you ride on I-ninety-five
Weekend road trips to the Cape to survive

Just know when you’re able a brat you must be
A boy like all others, wild and free
You’ll drive your folks crazy but love you they will
“Some day he’ll grow up I know he just will.”

So sleep now and feed and rest while you can
Soon enough you’ll start racing to beat all the band
You mom and your dad exhausted will be
But love you they will tho’ wish they to scream

Soon lad I’ll meet you and hold you up high
Pretend with my arms how high you can fly
Sandcastles we’ll build, empires of sand
We’ll dream our own empires all through the land

And later, all tired and covered with sand
The beach we’ll depart for Dairy Queen land,
There to buy ice cream all you can eat
As your grand-dad I’ll always buy you a treat….

Charlie Sheldon November 6 2005