Seam Ripper
There she goes again,
Half a Year
My baby is six months old,
that wiggly, giggly baby of mine–
that holdable, foldable baby
who is with me almost all the time.
That rooting, scooting baby
could soon get up and go.
Gone is the snarfing, barfing baby
that I used to know.
Half a year– where’s it gone?
Or better, where has it taken us?
From Bogotá to the “big” SuFu,
by car, airplane, and public bus.
What have I done, in these six months
since the morning I gave birth?
Each day I’ve had the same mother duties,
There’s been no big change in my “net worth.”
But a year is a circle, so half a year
must be about one hundred and eighty degrees.
And that’s how much a baby can change
and how much a baby is changing me.
Sitting
If you’re a Martha, not a Mary,
think twice before you have a baby
and plan on spending lots of time
just sitting at His feet.
Make all your many preparations
but don’t forget about the patience
because, above all else
that’s the thing you’re going to need.
And they will ask, “What do you do?”
And you will ask yourself that, too.
And you must find your answer
while sitting at His feet.
Don’t Get Old
“Don’t get old!” she says to me.
(She is ninety-two.)
But I’m not sure there’s anything else
that I can do.
Knowing that I am still young
and knowing what I don’t,
sometimes I wish for long-term age
on a short-term loan.
Someday I’ll know a life’s worth; now
I make do with what I do.
If I keep doing what I’m doing,
soon I’ll be ninety too.
Do-It-Yourselfishness
It’s good if you like to do it yourself.
We like to do it ourselves, ourselves.
Home cooking, home brewing, and self home repair––
we birth our own babies, we build our own shelves.
It’s good to take pride in the work that you do,
and we learn a lot when we get involved.
But when pride leads to pride that cuts off from others
then do-it-yourselfishness is what it’s called.
Do-it-yourselfishness looks at the world
and says “I won’t pay for what I can make,”
without thinking of work that others have done
and thanking them for the ideas that we take.
In our busy lives as do-it-yourselfers
we’ve probably saved a buck or two.
We’ve learned-it-ourselves when we’ve done-it-ourselves:
do-it-yourselfishness is easy to do.
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| The amazing DIY lung-powered snot-sucker. Snot-sucker + tubing = proud parents. |
When Grace Is What I Need
I cling to you like cicada shells,
as hollow as a bead.
I want you to fill me up
when grace is what I need.
I look to you like a little child
just learning how to read.
I want you to say I’m right
when grace is what I need.
I come to you like a punctured tire,
on a car still guaranteed.
I want you to change me quick
when grace is what I need.
I wait for you like a passenger
impatient for your speed.
I want you to come right now
when grace is what I need.
Chicken Coop
He’s building me a chicken coop
that rolls around the yard,
so dealing with the chicken poop
shouldn’t be too hard.
He’s making sure this chicken coop
is structurally sound.
We’ll have to get the neighbors’ help
to roll the thing around!
Blood-Chocolate Level
That’s why I’ve been cranky–
my blood-chocolate was low!
That’s why life was dim and dark.
I’m glad that now I know.
It’s bad to be in a bad mood,
but you know what’s even worse?
When you don’t know why you’re in it–
now that’s a double curse.
Berserker
Stir-crazy
Good Sabbath
Oh, Good Sabbath, welcome rest!
Come put up your feet.
Sit with me upon the couch
and thank God for this week.
But first, Good Sabbath, let me ask:
would you like a cup of tea?
Or coffee, water, juice or milk?
A little bite to eat?
Good Sabbath, are you comfortable?
I wish the house was clean!
It’s just I’ve been so busy–
you know what I mean.
Good Sabbath, I’ll be right there.
Just one more thing to do.
If I just finish this a minute
I can concentrate on you.
Okay, Sabbath, now I’m done.
Good Sabbath, where’d you go?
You left before I had a chance.
Why, I’ll never know.