Being around my 7 month old daughter brings out the poetic force in me. I find myself speaking to her in riddles and rhymes and sometimes I feel like I’m living inside a musical because I burst into made up songs and show tunes so many times during the day. I wonder whether other parents feel that way? 
Today, I was watching her roll around on her play blanket (which is decorated with stars), and was amazed at how everything around her went into her mouth. I had filled a brass bowl with bracelets for her to play with – silver, metallic, gold, plastic — and all she wanted to do was eat them.
Eating Bangles
She has a sophisticated appetite this little child
Stars, shiny and bright, at breakfast time
Golden bracelets, sparkling in a bunch, just in time for lunch
Pearls, smooth and inlaid in silver, for dinner
Will diamonds be next, I wonder?
It sounds a bit silly, I know, but these are the types of things that I find myself reciting out loud when I speak to her. I seldom write them down but today I just keep thinking about her licking the stars on the blanket, then one by one, picking up each of the bracelets in the bowl and sucking on them as though they were the most delicious thing in the world!
And of course you recite them to her, right?
I have always made up nonsense songs spontaneously when around my babies and now my grandbabies. It’s not something I think about. It just flows out of me. And the children love it. The beautiful thing about what you are doing is that it’s flowing out of your heart, mind, and memories. It’s a form of “baby talk” that is exquisitely perfect. I love your poem, your photo, and that you gave Amrita a bowl of bangles to explore.
Ah. Of course you recite them to her. That’s the whole point of your post. Sorry.
LOL I forgot about the math you have to do to leave a comment. Did I get it right?
I like the poem. You should set up a digital tape recorder somewhere central, try to forget about it, and go about your day. But you can never really forget about it can you? At any rate, I’m hungry. Got any earrings?
Found you through Sepia Mutiny and it looks like our baby girls are the same age
Mine was born 9/18/09 and even now *everything* goes into her mouth. So I’m off jewelry for a while, which is sad…