Sonnet 7

For Suzy

Never an early bird, she loved these red
pajamas she got, with robins on top,
Sunday mornings staying cozy in bed.
We nicknamed her Red Robin. She said, "Stop.

You have to call me Suzy." Though just four
years old, she was determined to be strong.
To take a stand on principle was more
important to her than getting along.

But never did this cozy girl act lazy--
she raised four kids while often working nights
to earn a Ph. D., while during days she
drafted budgets and patched up wounds and slights.

She's slow to rise, yet quick to laugh, and still
she takes her stands with a determined will.