Nieces And Nephews Poem by Mike Smith

I'm met as if I were a celebrity exiting a limousine striding onto the red carpet
Everyone all wanting to say hi and greet me at once
The hugs turn into holds and over the shoulder carries
Piggy back rides and the like ensue
They are so very excited
So ecstatically joyous in these moments
Oh how they live for piggy back rides
The smiles and the laughter
Little games and jokes and tricks that we play on each other
They would rather see me than any actor or rockstar
Any professional athlete or politician
I'm their own personal famous figure
And as such I try to live up to their expectations
So I lose on purpose at board games
And I pretend I can't find them when we play hide n' seek
Bring donuts or candies
Swim in the little kids pool with them
And fake tripping over a rock during a foot race
All the while an image grows in their young minds of Uncle Mike
When they grow up they'll remember that I was a part of each their lives
A big part, and a fun one too
...
When I walk out the door it occurs to me that I love those precious little people more than all other things in the world
And I question whether there will ever be something, anything else in the universe that I could possibly love so entirely, so enormously
Resoundingly, the answer is no
You can't ever love more than 100 percent