Kimberly's

 Book by Steve Jackson, "An Affair in the Valley." Available on Amazon Books.

A Welcome Grin

My neighbor

left her baby girl with me

for a couple hours.

The little girl

is wailing,

feeling neglected

and doomed.

Can I fill the void

in t

and somehow 

stop those teardrops?

Maybe her bottle will help.

Holding her

in one arm,

I use a free hand

to get the bottle

at the right temperature.

She wails louder.

Ooooooo

going hungry

is rough.

Here we go,

here’s your warm bottle,

but

what the…?

you’re so distressed

you swat it away.

Here, let me clean your face

where it dribbled

down

your chin.

Now let’s try again.

There,

the bottle’s in,

and those cheeks

wet with tears

become a welcome grin.

She takes it all down,

and now

we rest in peace…

her contented look

lets me understand

why an Asian philosopher

called the infant

a symbol of wisdom.

Cradled on my arm

she looks contented

with contentment-

a good model

of peace and tranquility,

and now that I’m humming

a song for her,

she responds

appreciatively

even gracefully

with another

welcome grin.

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