For Milana

She claps ecstatically

At the sight of our faces and the sound of our voices

“Go home and love your family”

A small child born without permission

How many other children aren’t so lucky to still

Clap so ecstatically

If everyone just loved their children like

Mother Teresa advised when they asked how to promote peace

She said,“Go home and love your family”

When she rolls in the bed and clearly says “mommy”

When she wakes in the night. I lie next to her and

She claps ecstatically at the touch of my arms

It’s so simple to make your child smile

All they want is you, so

go home and love your family

I’m setting a foundation of love for her,

So when she encounters those unlucky children  

She can continue to clap ecstatically, so

“Go home and love your family.”