Just 21 short years ago, the Dunks family prepared
For the birth of our son, Blake, and he was large, late and red-haired
We, Matthew and Tina, were now twice father and mother
And Amy was delighted with her brand new little brother

His head was big, his hair was red, and he had little legs
He bore quite a resemblance to the cartoon Ginger Meggs
As he grew his family supported him with love
We knew he would become the son that we would be proud of

As baby became toddler, he began to manifest
His unique personality, he approached the world with zest
He utterly refused to wear long sleeves or wear long pants
And he had some quirks which made him different from other infants

But he loved the little simple things that children often do
Like painting, counting jelly beans, and, yes, shaving foam too
He also went to Kindergym, a place that he adored
He was into everything, had no time to get bored

As parents we were privileged to watch Blake as he grew
We shared in his successes and his disappointments too
For Blake, although he tried them, he was not brilliant at sport
But Amy, playing netball, always had his full support

At times he would get anxious faced with unknown and strange things
It can be scary to not know just what the day will bring
Travelling was a challenge too, sometimes there’d be delays
And Dunks Chuck Stops was soon adopted as a standard phrase

Still, we went to Granite Island, looked for penguins all around
But the Red-Headed Pickle Butt was the only thing we found
For Blake, family is everything, with Christmas at the fore
Spending time with family, for Blake, never is a chore

He loves current events and at trivia he’s first-rate
He likes to laugh and thinks comedians are pretty great
He’s great with his computer and is keen to work in retail
(He has the personality and attention to the detail)

He’s addicted to his iPhone and all the Apple gear
And to American Pickers and even to Top Gear
But then he loves most TV shows and movies of all sorts
And though he’s not a player, he loves watching his sports

Wests Tigers are his Leagues team, for ice hockey, the Blackhawks
The Tampa Bay Rays baseball team’s the one ‘bout which he talks
He looks after his stomach, he’s a Dunks! He likes his food
And he’s always keen to find new restaurants that he thinks good

His music taste’s eclectic but he just can’t stand Skrillex
He’s unique, quirky, clever, funny and he’s quite complex
He’s spontaneous, well mannered, respectful, thoughtful, kind
A more polite and giving person, you’d be pressed to find

He volunteered to work with people at an aged home
He’s packed hampers for people who’ve had no food of their own
He walks a lot and rides his bike, excels at public transport
His expert use of Adelaide Metro really is his forte

He likes his women older (especially like Nigella)
Just like a normal Aussie bloke, a true red-blooded fella
Star Wars, youtube, Snapchat, Vine are favourites of Blake’s
And he loved going with dad to see the great Clipsal V8s

He’ll stand up to defend the weak, all bullying he hates
He’s respected by his elders and he’s loyal to his mates
We know that Blake is someone upon whom we can depend
And we consider lucky anyone who has him as their friend

So now we are all here today: the child we had has grown
Into the kind of man we’re happy is one of our own
We’ve been there for the good times and the trying times, the tests
But we love our children and we know that, simply, we’ve been blessed

It’s not all been clear sailing, at times we’ve muddled through
But we want Blake and the world to know we’re very proud of you
We’re proud of you, of who you are, now that you’re twenty-one
But most of all we’re proud to have you as our only son

Our fondest memories, thoughts and feelings very beautifully laced together into verse by friend and wordsmith, Annette at Priceless Poems. Thanks so very much for the magic Annette xx You can find Annette on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Priceless-Poems/737987059569001?fref=ts