(An excerpt from To a New Son)

While the coming of children
and passing of years
have not made me pacifist,
I have become much more choosy
about accepting alternatives
to peace.
Mothers and fathers of the world
may never learn
to live without war,
but the coming of each new child
gives us another chance.

I believe in children

(by Eugene Platt from the collection
“Summer Days with Daughter,” © 1999.)

Summer Days with Daughter is available at Charleston County Public Library