Put the Phone Down

She's building castles in the backyard mud

Wearing wings made out of dreams and love

Laughing loud with the sun in her eyes

But I'm scrolling through another timeline

I say, "Just a second," but the second is gone

The years feel short, though the days feel long

She reaches out with her little hand

And all she wants… is me to stand

Put the phone down, hold her close now

These are the days you'll miss somehow

Don't trade a screen for a real-life smile

Stay in the moment, even just a while

Hearts grow fast, and time won't wait

Memories fade if you hesitate

So put the phone down

Before today slips away

He's riding wild on two shaky wheels

With scraped-up knees and endless zeal

Says, "Mom, did you see me fly?"

But I was lost in someone else's life

I capture pics, but not the feel

Of sticky hands and bedtime squeals

The things that matter don't fit in frames

And no one wins the numbers game

Put the phone down, see them now

These are the moments that matter somehow

Not likes or follows, not who's online

But bedtime stories and lullabies

They grow too fast, and drift away

One blink, and they won't stay

So put the phone down

Before this turns to yesterday

You'll wish you danced in the living room

You'll ache for one more afternoon

To chase the giggles in the rain

To kiss the boo-boos, soothe the pain

No app can save what we forget

No scroll can bring back time we let… go

So put the phone down, breathe them in

Feel the love beneath their skin

Their little voices won't always call

So catch the echoes before they fall

This is your now, don't let it fade

These are the memories that never get made

If you don't slow down

Put the phone down

One day you'll reach for their tiny hands

And find you missed the only chance

To live this love

Unfiltered, real, profound

So put the phone down