Essentials: Peppermint Eucalyptus and Tea Tree

 

Mosquito

In this summertime of
flea mosquito wasp
and spider bites

I search for
something
not allergy
inducing

Can anything
heal Girlie’s
golden scarred
skin?

I forgot about
an aloe plant

Deet free
peppermint
eucalyptus
tea tree

smell nice
but do not
stop the
marauding

insect hoards
that have
invaded
my home

The perpetual body furnace of
a toddler burns hot like a kitten
smoldering while she purrs
against her mother’s belly

She is a beacon
to all winged
hopping crawling
creatures

Stung bitten and
sucked upon
the timing
is perfect
growth spurts
temper tantrums
delirium and
meltdowns

“I can’t do it anymore”
She screams
like the world
has stopped
spinning
and I’ve
asked her
to get off

It takes
chanting
in my brain
to settle
my heart

This child will
sleep tonight
soon, so soon

I’ll miss her
mischievous gleam as
she refuses to pick up
the pickle juice and
lavender lotion

“I can’t pick it up I’m busy playing”
then
“Nooo, I will not poop in the potty”

There is a trick to
understanding
the four year old brain
and it does not include
fruit snacks apple juice
Ben and Jerry’s non dairy
chocolate dessert
with brownies before bed

Sometimes
I let her have
things that I
wouldn’t normally give her
Just checking
I have earned another
food sensitive child

So sleepy
she rests her head
on my thigh and
asks me to read what it says

I read a column of words so as
not to startle my little humming bird

Her breathing slows
two fingers firmly planted
in her mouth, she grips my arm
“You are my comforter,” she says
“Without you I’m cold”

Rolling over
her left hand
strokes my chin
checking to see
if my head is
still attached

How could my arm and leg
keep her secure without
the rest of my body
staying attached?

This child has been scarred
I can never undo
the harm
the insecurity
the uncertainty
of a child who was
encouraged to hide snacks
and lie if asked about it

Everything is a stage
Testing testing

How much does she really understand?

I think she needs an acting class
Raising experimental child number four
by the skin of my teeth and intuition
is emotionally exhausting

She is fast asleep
Squeak, squeak, squeak
she sucks her two fingers
She is comfortable for now
Everything will be just fine

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