Grandma’s Slippers ~

Kaantha wears

grandma’s slippers slide-walks

says, “it fits me well” ~

Kaantha Dreams

Kaantha sleeps with

barbie dreams fantastic

mother delights ~

Love

“Kaantha sweet” ~“Get Out” ~

“Don’t you love me Kaantha?”

“I do ~ Not now ~ I am beesee

Givin meelk ~ My Baabee“

Kaantha Teaches Me Zen ~

“Little Kaantha Where are you?”

Kaantha runs to hide behind the door,

says, “No! I am Not Here!”

Note ~ Kaantha is My (brother’s) three-year-old daughter. Her real name is Seetha, but I call her “Kaantha” which roughly means “Luminously Effulgent and Attracting”. Almost immediately I had a desire to rewrite the last poem in the original Tamizh too. Here is the Tamizh version which I think is more intimate and suggestive.

kaantha shonna kadai

“engamma nee kaantha?”

kaantha odipoyi kadavukku pinnale

olinjundu kocchaya shonna

“illai, nan enge illai!”