Any of these poems would be a great addition to an adoption life book or framed and hung on a wall in your home. Author’s names are included if known. Please help complete this age by naming unknown
My child,
I carried you in my heart before you were even born
And dared to dream that you were real.
My child,
I carried your picture with me since the day I received it,
And dared to love a child I was yet to meet.
My child,
I carried you in my arms at last, and gazed in helpless wonder at your face,
And dared to lose my heart to you.
And now, my child,
a dream fulfilled, a prayer answered, a family created,
I have dared to become a mom.
And so now,
my precious child, I shall carry you home.
My heart felt something missing.
At the time, I didn’t know that “something”
Would become my reason for living.
I don’t know why our life together began so far apart.
How could I have known
A faraway land held the missing beat of my heart?
From distant places with stranger’s faces
Our hearts were destined to meet.
Without you for me and me for you
Our lives would not have been complete.
-Crystal Dawn Perry
Today I kissed an angel
I knew it from the start.
The first time my angel smiled at me;
I gave away my heart.
Today I kissed an angel;
This angel child of mine
Though not of my creation,
My child by God’s design.
Today I kissed an angel.
My heart is dancing wild;
Our family, by a miracle;
Blessed by our angel child.
Longing for a child to love,
I’d wish upon the stars above.
In my heart I always knew,
A part of me was meant for you.
I think how happy we will be,
Once I adopt you, and you adopt me.
I dream of all the joy you’ll bring,
Imagining even the littlest things.
The way it will feel to hold you tight,
And tuck you in every night.
The drawings on the refrigerator door,
And childhood toys across the floor.
The favorite stories read again and again,
And hours of games with make-believe friends.
The day you took my outstretched hand,
A journey ended, but our lives began.
Still mesmerized by your sweet face,
Still warmed inside by our first embrace.
I promised to give you a happy home,
And a loving family all your own.
A house you’ve now made complete,
With laughter, smiles, and tiny feet.
A parent is one who guides the way,
Know I will be there everyday.
Rest easy as each night you sleep,
A lifetime of love is yours to keep.
Longing for a child to love,
I’d wish upon the stars above.
In my heart I always knew,
A part of me belonged to you.
A half a world away
Sometimes it seems we’re so far apart
But a half a world away
Is not too far for a journey of the heart
My little one, my bundle of joy
I’m waiting for you
My precious son, my baby boy
I know you’re waiting too
A half a world away
A child waits for a family of his own
While a half a world away
A family waits to come to bring him home
My little one, my bundle of joy
I’m whispering a prayer
My precious son, my baby boy
I hope to soon be there
I hope that we will no longer be a half a world away.
© 1996 Jill Marshall-Work
Our Family Tree
We’ve added to our family tree
A stronger one to make
A child from another plant
Has become our new namesake.
Just as a limb is grafted
From one tree to another,
It alters and improves the plant
Making it, uniquely, like no other.
Our family tree has been improved
Adoption made this so.
For love, much more than bloodlines,
Makes us thrive and grow.
We chose to share our life and love
And all the joys to come
Our “family tree” has blossomed
With the arrival of our cherished one.
-unknown
My Harvest
I did not plant you, true.
But when the season is done,
When the alternative prayers for sun
and for rain are counted,
When the pain of weeding
And the pride of watching is through,
Then I will hold you high,
A shining sheaf above the thousand seeds grown wild.
Not my planting,
But, by heaven,
My harvest
My child.
– Carol Lynn Pearson
Roots & Wings
Who are you that you should come to us?
Your name is Wonder;
Your name is Joy.
You have come gently
into our lives
bringing purity
and the freshness
of new beginnings.
And what shall we give you in return?
We offer you all that we can
our best intentions
our promise of love.
We offer your roots.
We offer you your wings.
We offer you tomorrow.
We offer you ourselves.
– Suzanne Gulbin
Our Child
With anxious hearts and open arms,
we sought you everywhere.
You, dear child, are a gift from God,
The answer to our prayer.
No matter whether birth or choice,
A home is blessed from above.
When caring parents claim their child,
A family is formed by love
You first came to us in an envelope
With letters, forms and such
Just two tiny little pictures
With nothing warm to touch.
You grew in our imagination
In our hearts and in our minds.
You brought us greater joy
Than we ever thought we’d find.
A phone call started labor pains
Which lasted ’til we met
Strangers brought together
A day we won’t forget.
You bloomed as you were planned
In our hearts, our lives, our home.
Our child of chance, of plan, of will
You’re now our very own.
-unknown
In 2002, I began to chronicle my adoption journey and created Forever Parents, a supportive online community for adoptive and waiting parents. Over the next year, we grew our support forums to include an adoption shop and a blog. Forever Parents stayed active, helping thousands of people for over ten years. I’m in the process of updating and moving all the posts to this blog, in the Forever Parents section. This post was originally published on April 28, 2008.
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