Jan 2018
HOW TO COUNT TO OVER FOUR...HUNDRED BILLION!
( for Maureen )
She makes a nest
in my lap.
Teddy, her blue blanket and
a twig and a stone she adopts.
The twig is
her newest bestest friend.
She watches THE KING AND I
from this eyrie.
Thumb in mouth she
soaks it all up.
The world decanted
into music.
Later as I kiss her
goodnight
stars cluster about her
bedroom window.
"How many stars are
there?"
"Oh, I don't know...over
400 billion I suppose!"
She starts to count
what she can see
reaches ten and then
begins again.
Ten is all
she can count.
Then sleepy she
whispers
"etc., etc., etc.!"
( for Maureen )
She makes a nest
in my lap.
Teddy, her blue blanket and
a twig and a stone she adopts.
The twig is
her newest bestest friend.
She watches THE KING AND I
from this eyrie.
Thumb in mouth she
soaks it all up.
The world decanted
into music.
Later as I kiss her
goodnight
stars cluster about her
bedroom window.
"How many stars are
there?"
"Oh, I don't know...over
400 billion I suppose!"
She starts to count
what she can see
reaches ten and then
begins again.
Ten is all
she can count.
Then sleepy she
whispers
"etc., etc., etc.!"
So my little one watches THE KING AND I..and who does she want to be? Why Yul of course. She goes around with her bathing cap on to mimic his baldness and with her hands disdainfully on her hips saying "etc., etc., etc.!" She also is under the belief that "etc., etc., etc.!" is some form of number and can be used when you can only count to ten and you need to count countless stars.
