A POEM FOR A BABY NAMING

I recently had cause to write a poem for the naming of a baby. It was not for a particular baby, but for an assignment. I needed to find a poem and I could not find anything I liked. It was all too syrupy and conventional. 

I remembered when my daughter was born and how amazed I was by her. I wanted to glorify her with names. I suddenly agreed with the British royals, who gave their babies strings of names representing their whakapapa, or family histories and connections. I resisted the strings of names but she did end up with more names than she could use. 

I also considered naming ceremonies from cultures where names are magical things. They might be bestowed by Shamans and relate to spirit guides. There is an idea bout secret names and use names as opposed to formal names. Even in our society, where we give names according to fashion or what sounds nice, we kind of know intuitively the power of names when our mothers tell us off, and suddenly we are 'Christopher James MacKenzie!!' in our mother's Voice Of Power instead of just Chris. 

So here it is.

YOUR NAME

May your name glorify you.

May your name be big enough to grow into.

May your name carry forward the best of our traditions, and also be uniquely yours.

May your name be whispered with love, called with pride, and remembered with respect.

Many your name fall from heaven and rise from the dear earth, for it is a blessing from the divine powers that stand behind us all.

And this is your name.

And your name is this.

NN