_{A Blessing for Asher}

You started out a bundle of bronze flesh,

pearly bone set in a babe,

birthed into a world full of pain– tears and heartache my fate.

Worry and bitterness crept into kill me,

took all my pride, my reason for living.

Why did this happen to me? And now why a baby?

So when I saw you coming, I fell down running

from all that threatened to come for me, gunning.

But just one look at you, and I was remade new–

You’re pure as the driven snow.

Smiles and sunshine, happy and bright. You’re all that is good in a world that’s not right.

Some got the brains and some got the brawn. Some got the beauty, charisma till dawn.

But you’re the

s

w

e

e

t

heart,

making the stars

b

u

r

s

t

with light.

In wonder and magic you breathe out your days. Sweep us up into your warm, sugary ways.

Your honeyed laughter kisses our home. Little feet running, there’s joy in your bones.

It’s why I love you–

you’re pure as the driven snow.

Burden and blessing, this world goes round. Toil and labor and lies abound.

You never see the mistakes.

Drift over the holes that we make.

Your

v

a

l

l

e

y

s

and hills,

swirling into the sky.

Love, joy, peace, happiness, you never try

to be what you’re not, to be who they want. It’s why we need you–

you’re pure as the driven snow.

Some will have wit, and some a great style. You’re gifted with the most beautiful smile.

One that they’ll try to take,

an advantage to exploit and remake

into a weapon of strife,

into dollars and favors, false life.

You must remember . . .

that God brought you mid-winter

to take a heart that was splintered

and

d

o

w

n.

To pick it up off the cold, frozen ground,

and help it beat again

with love pure as the driven snow.

Someday this world will mock you and beat you,

slap you round silly, threaten to eat you

alive.

And the only way you will survive

is to run to

the One who makes you

pure as the driven snow.

You’re pure as the driven snow.