Annabella

I've spoken a lot about my daughter's impending arrival on this blog.  On Tuesday my wife and I finally met our beautiful little girl, Annabella.  She was absolutely perfect, with my wife's long fingers, my black hair, and beautiful lips all of her own, but died shortly before she was delivered.

Thank you to everyone who's offered their support over the last few difficult days.  It's meant a lot to me and my wife.

I'll be taking a hiatus from my blog for a little while.
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Excerpt from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, for Annabella:

The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he complains of my gab
and my loitering.

I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,
I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.

The last scud of day holds back for me,
It flings my likeness after the rest and true as any on the shadow'd wilds,
It coaxes me to the vapor and the dusk.

I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.

I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.

You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filter and fibre your blood.

Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you.