Friday, February 1, 2008

Why I Am Alive

For TOP January 31, 2008
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The bathroom needs to be cleaned,
laundry needs to be done.
These thoughts are nets
binding arms and hearts.

Making supper every night is boring.
Changing sheets, dusting, vacuuming.
A dirge sung by clouds
in shades of gray.

Then Kylie comes to visit
in her two-year-old radiance
She is an orange tree
growing in January snow.

“I count to ten in Swahili.”
she announces.
“Moja, mbili, tatu, nne, tano,
sita, saba, nane, tisa, kumi."

“Wow! Can you teach
that to Grandma?”

“Moooooojaaaaaaaaa”

Kylie
Grandma
Kylie
Grandma

The teacher is taught.

After she leaves,
zipping all that freshness
into her jacket
and taking it with her,

moja, clean the bath
mbili, strip the bed
tatu, start washing machine
nne, dust
tano, wash kitchen floor
sita, put sheets in dryer
saba, vacuum
nane, water the plants
tisa, make the bed
kumi, write this poem.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

loved this, so original, such great Linda energy! Very nice spin.... :)

Anonymous said...

Mooja. This is an orange tree of its own!
Mbili. She brings out childlike excitement and wonder.
Tatu. Your poem makes me grin.

Tumblewords: said...

Aren't they the coolest little things? An orange tree growing in January snow - a superb visual! Love this poem.

paisley said...

linda,, this is precious... i hate doing household stuff,, but then i never had a little one to lighten my spirits.. i do however have a ten year old red mixed breed dog named kylie... i call her my ky-marina...

sister AE said...

Nicely done, Linda.

And
"She is an orange tree
growing in January snow."
is perfect.

Rambler said...

Kids are great teachers, and even better students..
what an use of the prompt, excellent!

susan said...

"She is an orange tree
growing in January snow."

beautiful metaphor.

susan said...

My daughter, Zawadi, is Swahili for gift.

Andy Sewina said...

Wow!,Nice moja Linda!

Anonymous said...

oh this is brilliant, how do you say that in swahili? :) Superb Linda.

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