When days turn short and nights grow cold, I know you’ll all remember
that it’s my favorite time of year, this month we call November.
And though Thanksgiving’s taken on some nuanced connotations,
the family and the food still make the best of combinations.
That is, unless you chance to be a gobbler or a hen,
for turkeys in November know that all good things must end.
Which brings me to the topic of a sturdy lad named Ben…
But first I’ll take a moment to get up to my old tricks—
I’m thrilled to have you with me here in poem twenty-six.
My list grows ever longer, perhaps one day you’ll be a million;
but I’ve got nothing on the Earth, now burdened by eight billion!
Each mouth must eat, each vote must count, each one of us is blessed.
The years roll by, but each brings something different than the rest.
So as I type, my wife and I approach the empty nest.
Our youngest just turned seventeen, he stands at six foot three.
He’s outgrown every other branch on either family tree.
His smile is wide, his nature calm, his best friend is himself.
And you should see him throw a pitch, his trophies fill the shelf.
As parents in these front-row seats, we’ve savored every day.
And that won’t change, so son of ours, I hope I needn’t say
how proud we’ll be in eight months’ time to see you on your way.
The knowledge found in college, it is valuable indeed—
whether in the dining hall or all the books you’ll read.
Try something different every day, let campus be your oyster.
But when it’s time to knuckle down, don’t let it get too boister-
ous, because there’s lots to learn and hours go by so fast.
So make the most of all that time, and have yourself a blast.
Your mom and I will do just fine with solitude at last.
But not tonight! As we sit down to sup this yearly feast,
with my mother and my brother and our family from back east.
For the best part of Thanksgiving is the people and the meeting.
That part will stand the test of time… plus, of course, the eating.
We’ll load our plates with treasures, just as much as they can hold.
And this year that seems apt, since turkey costs its weight in gold.
But still I say it’s worth it—there’s tradition to uphold!
And so I hope this finds you all in gustatory heaven,
with loved ones, friends, and heaps of food your tables all to leaven.
And I’ll be back in twelve months’ time with number twenty-seven!