Composed on the occasion of the birth of another grandchild.

THE BLESSED BLANKET

By John Herlihy

Soft as down,
Hand-stitched all around,
By a loving hand,
For the new arrival of the Pashtu clan.

This blessed blanket has made its way,
Across open seas and many miles away,
To wrap in warmth a new born urchin,
Fallen from heaven like a little lost pin.

Her name is Arfa which means sublime
Echoing on the tongue like a simple rhyme.
In future she will know what happened just after midnight,
As she came into the world under the shine of moonlight.

The blanket by then will be set aside and forgotten,
Its stars faded and its fuzz just plain cotton;
But I will cherish the hand-made blanket forevermore,
That wrapped the infant in blessing as in the days of yore.