To Zachary

To Zachary


Through no choice of yours you wear a name.
You sought it not; nor was permission given.
Regardless of the circumstance, or your desire to have it,
It now is yours; and yours alone. Nobody else can wear it.

It’s a name that you can proudly wear; but its more than just a label.
Its heritage has spanned the years; it sets your feet on ground that’s stable.
Days long gone and years to come account fourteen generations.
A nation’s birth and its civil war has seen your family mentioned.

Distant lands have seen the tread of former men who’ve worn it.
They bravely fought for what you have; gave you the right to wear it.
It’s a gift, a badge of honor, and a challenge surely too.
For in a very special way its care is up to you.

Responsibility’s a big, big word for such a little guy.
And the promise of a busy life awaits you by and by.
This life’s first breath begins for you in this very special way.
At this event that we call birth we take the time to say,

“It's now your time to wear the name,
that others wore before. So wear it proud, and bring it fame,
and make it stand for good. It’s now yours alone to own.
It tells the world you have a past that you must carry on.”

But know this first and keep it dear, this simple thought I leave you.
Through love your name was given you, before we ever knew you.
It does not mean just anything. It stands for you alone.
For as you wear it as your own, it makes its own clear tone.

It folds and wraps around you like a warm and gentle blanket.
It holds you tight and close to us, each time we choose to speak it.
And know that though the name’s important, for other family reasons,
It’s an empty sound that fills a void, without you to give it meaning.

A poem born on the day of your birth

Your Granpa