I celebrate my adopted daughter, <br />A compact bit of law and order <br />Who leaves this Monday for boot camp <br />Eager for The Army's stamp; <br />A tiny mass of daring-do, <br />Brave enough to see things through <br />Prepared to be an Army Nurse <br />To ferry soldiers in a hearse; <br />I see the courage in your face, <br />Your shoulders squared, your vision braced, <br />There to do your country's duty, <br />You little mite, you thing of beauty; <br />You've always had a heart of gold, <br />You swept my driveway in the cold, <br />Shoveling snow without request, <br />Gut determined to do your best; <br />You're going out to see the world, <br />More than just a little girl, <br />A woman with a heart that's free, <br />Out to see what she can see; <br />Brave to leave our little town, <br />To travel being horizon bound, <br />Fearless as a little tyke <br />When you got on your two wheel bike; <br />I salute you proud as your step father, <br />Ignore my tears, and your step-mothers, <br />You're going off to fight a war, <br />The Persian Gulf's a distant shore, <br />Remember to keep your helmet. down; <br />Come home to us safe and sound<br /><br />David McLansky<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-celebrate-my-adopted-daughter/
