out the back window

(not much to see here, just airing out some of the drafts that have been sitting here for years and years)

Looking out the back window
I watched my little girl
skipping through the yard
chasing after butterflies
laughing in the sun
filling my heart with something beyond joy

Watching my little girl
smiling at her life
skipping, chasing, laughing, carefree
just out the back window

I watched one time, as my precious little girl
tripped on a rock, scraped her knee
hit the ground, careless interruption
I ran out to see if she was hurt
"You have to be careful running through the yard like that
you have to watch where you're going, what you're doing
watch out for rocks so that you don't hurt yourself!"
I told her sternly, to make sure this didn't happen again
She looked at me solemnly, broken free from her reverie
taking seriously my words of warning, feeling the pain in her knee.

Looking out the back window
at my little girl, walking through the yard
head down, carefully watching, eyes close to a frown
she won't trip over anything now
she won't hurt herself that way
and I was right in what I said
right to keep her out of harm's way
right to teach her how to watch out for herself

but sometimes, looking out my back window
at my little girl in the yard
I miss the way she would skip carefree
I miss the smile, the laughter,
the joy