A Portrait of a Man

He was a gift to both his birth mother and I.
She shared his youth and his first look at the sky.
I shared the rest with her, after that first year he arrived.
He lived in my house, went to school, where his efforts he applied.
His smile was the feature of his that stands out the most.
His happiness was clear to see as he viewed the stars by the coast.
Schooling and learning to live in our American way,
he watched as astronauts were launched into space one day.
His humor was an aspect that I will never forget.
He did as much as he was able without regret.
Sharing his life in his country to all who would listen.
He consumed all he saw and learned; each new fact made him glisten.
Like the planets and stars he admired so much,
it was time for him to go; he would be free to reach out and touch.
Free of his illness that kept him bound,
he lives with our Lord and the Angels now smiling; never to frown.
He knew he was loved and would be missed by his family and wife,
it was time to go to our Father, live what he earned; an eternal life.