Pied Baby

I've been pretty full of baby this week, for apparent reasons. And so, with baby on the mind and on the lap, I composed a little ode of praise for God's common mercies toward us. But before I post that, I'm going to post an old favorite of mine, newly relevant, since I now have one of each kind of child! Many of you have read it before (more than once?), but tough tooties.

The Confidence of Covenant Children
Step high.
Swing wide broadside,
Handsome and hopeful smile:
Lord-like my boys, little men with toys,
Be gods.

Swing low
And sweetly higher,
Make glad your heavenly sire:
Queen-like my girls, playing with mom's pearls,
Be gods.

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Before you read the next bit, you may wish to check out G. M. Hopkins' Pied Beauty. And now, on to the title track (sorry the indentations didn't translate into blogger):


Pied Baby
Glory be to God for baby swings—
For vibrant soothingly-bouncy seats;
For pack-n’-play; for mini-gym;
And batt’ry powered, all such óperated things;
All things musical, and buttons for repeat,
And áll tóys, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things baby, primary, loud, strange;
Whatever is bright, brilliant (who knows how?);
With clean, gunk; giggle, cry; willful, whim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.