[New-Poetry] Poems by others: "Wedding Cake, " by Naomi Shihab Nye

[Anny Ballardini]

What a lovely poem. I was in this tiny Sicilian shop to buy the best olives
in town, and a five year old boy just sweetly bumped into me, but the way he
did it was also invasive, and since I am an adult, I just smiled at him
controlling any whatsoever reaction I could have, and he looked at me with
the funniest expression, and his mother said: "He thought you were me." And
I said as if I had to apologize: "We are both wearing some greenish colors."
Caught in a net.

On Sun, Oct 5, 2008 at 9:23 PM, <JforJames at aol.com> wrote:

>  Wedding Cake
>
> Once on plane
> a woman asked me to hold her baby
> and disappeared.
> I figured it was safe,
> our being on a plane and all.
> How far could she go?
>
> She returned one hour later,
> having changed her clothes
> and washed her hair.
> I didn't recognize her.
>
> By this time the baby
> and I had examined
> each other's necks.
> We had cried a little.
> I had a silver bracelet
> and a watch.
> Gold studs glittered
> in the baby's ears.
> She wore a tiny white dress
> leafed with layers
> like a wedding cake.
>
> I did not want
> to give her back.
>
> The baby's curls coiled tightly
> against her scalp,
> another alphabet.
> I read *new,* *new, new.
> My mother gets tired.
> I'll chew your hand.*
>
> The baby left my skirt crumpled,
> my lap aching.
> Now I'm her secret guardian,
> the little nub of dream
> that rises slightly
> but won't come clear.
>
> As she grows,
> as she feels ill at ease,
> I'll bob my knee.
>
> What will she forget?
> Whom will she marry?
> He'd better check with me.
> I'll say once she flew
> dressed like a cake
> between two doilies of cloud.
> She could slip the card into a pocket,
> pull it out.
> Already she knew the small finger
> was funnier than the whole arm.
>
>
> --Naomi Shihab Nye, *Fuel*, Boa Editions, 1998
>
>
>
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-- 
Anny Ballardini
http://annyballardini.blogspot.com/
http://www.fieralingue.it/modules.php?name=poetshome
http://www.moriapoetry.com/ebooks.html
I Tell You: One must still have chaos in one to give birth to a dancing
star!
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