I Celebrate My Adopted Daughter Poem by David McLansky

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