Abuelito Who
Sandra Cisneros
Abuelito who throws coins like rain
and asks who loves him
who is dough and feathers
who is a watch and glass of water
whose hair is made of fur
is too sad to come downstairs today
who tells me in Spanish you are my diamond
who tells me in English you are my sky
whose little eyes are string
can't come out to play
sleeps in his little room all night and day
who used to laugh like the letter k
is sick
is a doorknob tied to a sour stick
is tired shut the door
doesn't live here anymore
is hiding underneath the bed
who talks to me inside my head
is blankets and spoons and big brown shoes
who snores up and down up and down up and down again
is the rain on the roof that falls like coins
asking who loves him
who loves him who?
Let's see if it looks any different when it's my musings on another person's life, not my own:
Madre Who
Kelsie Baab
Madre who pours love down the drain
and asks for nothing back
who is perfume and fingernails
who is a cup of coffee in the morning
whose skin is soft as satin
is too busy to come outside today
who tells me she's proud of my every move
who tells me you are my sunshine
whose button-eyes are shining
won't come out to play
stays in her little room all day
who used to laugh like a mockingbird
is away
is a budding flower in rainy May
is tired locked the door
doesn't come out anymore
is hoarding things beneath the bed
whose memories waltz inside my head
is sweat pants and jogging shoes
who runs upstairs and downstairs up and down and up again
is a cotton ball cloud in the sky
asking for nothing but love
nothing, love you.
Again, hm... I'm not sure how I feel that one turned out. I'll retire for the night and revisit it in the morning.
I feel the "Madre Who" poem was forced to take on a sad tone because I adhered to Cisneros' format. I wrote another one last night about my husband (Peter who), and I strayed from the form a little more. I was able to make it more playful and fun. It would be a disservice to my madre to keep this one like it is. Alas, I don't have time to fix it now.
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