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Belching Fish and Belly Buttons

His name is Jao
Nathaniel Jao Montri Hubbard
And he comes to our house
A time or two a week
So his Dad can go to work

He cannot walk, Jao cannot
So he runs as if pursued
By a notion that the earth is large
And that something is newer
Than he knows, not yet

What he does not know
Is that it is he who is new
And shall be newer still
If he does not overrun it

He looks at himself
As we see him: something shiny
Scrubbed and glad for life
When he laughs at belching fish
And foxes in the snow

It is all new, a hummingbird
A cow, a bath, a belly button

Come on, Jao, we say
Let's get the morning paper
And he runs because
He has not learned to walk

Not yet

Comments

  1. JaneDecember 15, 2013 at 9:23 PM

    Love the essence of Jao in this post and the picture is one of the best yet!

    ReplyDelete

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