I sat her on a box

I sat her on a box legs swinging, kicking, flexing
anticipating the rolling purple plastic bouncer
She can’t stand yet without a tumble but
I wanted her to have a ball.

She laughed and laughed as the ball touched her feet
the glory of my child moving and feeling and seeing
simultaneously, there is no end to the joy.

Simple animal books are part of her language
she pulls them from the shelf
opens the page and says, “woof.”
The dog or puppy she has seen.
“ee-oww,” she whispers to
the cat or kitten on the next page

I howl at the wolf and moo at the cow, but the hooting of the owl
knocks her on her back. Uncontrolled belly laugh, she howl moos.
One day, when she forms sentences, I wonder if she will remember this time of animal sounds?

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