With Just One Piece of Wood

With just one piece of wood
And two pieces of string
Three nails
Four wails
The hammer on your thumb
Five curses, six bad words
Seven grommets from your boots
For grommets of the sail
Eight oclock
Heave ho!
Nine years old, the perfect age
To be a ship's first mate

And that was the very first boat

She was moored upon the reef
Next to the shore
With her anchor pulled tight
For the wind with all his might
Would have blown her away
And we lived our lives well

With nothing but one look
Two names carved in a tree
Three hearts
Four arrows
Tomorrow we will go
Five detours and six roads
My seven favorite marbles
I'm saving them for you
August eighth
Hair so red
Nine years old, the perfect age
To be a gallant knight

And that was the very first love

We had gone into the woods
To the blueberry patch
And we ate, we had our fill
And we stayed there until
The setting sun had disappeared
And we lived our lives well

With one too many word
Two angry silent days
Three times
Four times
She didn't meet me there
Five sighs and six tears
A tree with seven names
She won't come back to me
Eight o'clock
Too late!
Nine years old, the perfect age
To have a broken heart

And that was the very first heartache

With summer at an end
I'll count the days
For when school starts again
Once more I'll see my friend
I will gaze upon her face
And live my life well

With nary but one look
Two whispers in her ear
Three days
Four nights
We two in constant sight
Five departures, six returns
We've chosen seven names
I've made a room for you
Eight o'clock
Come on by
Nine months, the perfect time
To build a universe

And that was the very first child

He was and will always be
The only hope
He's a gift from above
He'll fall in and out of love
Somedays his heart will ache

And he'll build his first boat
With just one piece of wood
And two pieces of string