It Only Tickles When You Do It

I revel in days of abiding great joy
Bestowed upon me by that one little boy
Well it's true that it smarts when he shouts in my ears
But the silence hurt more before he was here

Well he laughs til he cries as we flail on the floor
And he pleads with me "Stop!", though he knows there'll be more
With an innocent whimsy he hasn't lost yet
Then he leads me to wisdom I'll never forget
When he says "Now Daddy, you tickle yourself"
And I say: "If I could I'd get to it
But it only tickles when you do it"

Now that my bonnie boy has grown into a man
I am left all alone here with these idle hands
So they reach up to You who've been Father to me
And they're craving the joy that Your touch always means
I say this in not the most reverent terms
And pray You won't misconstrue it
But it only tickles when You do it

...and then the Lord speaks...:
"I am God, I am happy in heavens above
I've had eons and ages of Myself to love
Still I found it amusing to see Adam come
And the earth did seem greener, and brighter the sun
Well I may try to hide this from even Myself
But clearly you always knew it
That it only tickles when you do it
Yes it only tickles when you do it"