two poems about children

the girl smiled a proud smile,
looked up at her mother
and announced:
"i'm going to dance all the way to the door."

and she did.
with hops and half twirls,
turning her way to the place
where her mother took her
by the hand,
leading her onto
sidewalk, chicago winter.


- - -


casual, with unthinking tenderness,
the mother's hand moves across
the head of the six-year old boy
at her side
gently running her fingers through his
fine, light hair:
messing it up,
smoothing it down again.

movement unremarked and unremembered
product of no chain of reasoning,
equally unnoticed by actor and acted upon
as both stare ahead
pondering ice-cream choices.

an unconsidered gesture,
holding what is purest and deepest and best
in human life.