heartbeat

once upon a time there was a heartbeat

i knew it like my own

it went beat, beat, beat

like a softly ticking metronome

and it rocked me to sleep

but then i grew up

and i lost the sound

the softly ticking time

it left my head

it filled instead

with words and sound

and music and noise 

and chaos and stuff

and stuff

i missed that heartbeat

until i found another

another beat beat beat

that puts me at ease 

yet again, like long ago

i don't know it as well

but i like the sound

different, but the same

like a softly ticking metronome

and someday i hope

i hope i can give to

another tiny person

the gift of my heartbeat

the beat beat metronome

a softly ticking lullaby

to sing them to sleep

until they grow up

and find a new heartbeat

and so it goes