Dear C,
I don’t have time for a whole letter for you today—although you’ve given me much to write about lately. Maybe another time. For the moment, here is a very quick, very short scene from last night.
after dinner we cleared the dishes,
wiped the counter dry,
and fitted the sink with
a blue plastic basin.
you stood on a chair nearby, watching gravely
as we lowered her tiny pink body into the warmth,
legs, belly, chest.
with each warm cupful, soft splash,
she peered back at us, eyes like deep waters
lulling us in waves.
and suddenly you wanted in:
“let me,” you said,
and we handed you a cloth,
and you washed her feet,
and her arms reached out for you,
a startled embrace
that hugged only the air,
her sea-storm eyes unable to find you.
and you smiled, her sister, her wisdom,
as if to say,
You do not know now what I am doing,
but later you will understand.
9 Responses to “for C”
Leave a Reply
Search
Asides
» IT’S SNOWING! Oh wait, it stopped.
» “If you like art, and you try it, you can’t stop doing it.” –little she-who-is
» Hanukkah begins this Sunday. Enjoy the best comedy piece on the Festival of Lights since Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah song.
Links
Join | List | Prev | Next Random | Prev5 | Next5
Skip Prev | Skip Next
Join | List | Prev | Next |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
What’s up with those last two lines?
Nice.
sounds like she likes this big sister gig.
I love looking in on your new world. Thank you for making this beautiful reality and new life transparent for all of us! Hey– when you are nursing this week at 3a.m., see if you have any great insights about what I should preach this coming Sunday… just kidding! sort of.
It is going to be so fun around your home for such a long time!
I’m so glad you had a little sister for C! I love hearing stories about “the girls.”
I think it’s awesome that these memories will be in writing for the girls to enjoy as they get older. What a gift!
Just ‘de-lurking’ long enough to let you know I am enjoying every one of your maternity leave posts.
Is it wrong to get pregnant just for the 3 months spent with family soaking up the details?
this is an awesome insight