Sitting upon the floor

my youngest daughter and I

I teach, she learns

She teaches, I learn

Together we laugh gleefully

But then...

Something is amiss

Something foul

To her it was a relief

To me it is a chore

I lay her upon her back

as I prepare the needed tools

She tussles, I embrace

hoping to prevent

a commonality from becoming a calamity

The cleansing complete

the moment has passed

For her it was nothing

to me it is everything

and on that I muse, briefly, heavy of heart

Too soon will be the day

that I will no longer be the hero

vigilant at her side

to tend

to all her needs.

Time remains ever constant

yet these days do hurry by

With the blink of an eye

and the wave goodbye

a child, she will be no more

As she so often does

in her impish and enchanting way

she frees me from this heavy thought

with a smile that could warm

even the coldest of human heart

Her name contains a melody

ethereal

and playful too

It's meaning and it's sound to me

resonant within her eyes

Given the former circumstance

the latter does still hold true

She giggles as I lean in and say,

"Aria Jade...

...that was gross"