Tiny Little Peace

TINY LITTLE PEACE

Once upon many seasons past we had a little baby with us its popular name was Tiny Little-Peace in exchange for calm from the village next to us what he was like I like to talk about a lesson for custodians of other tiny tots. Peace from colic suffered like any child He needed be burped, he cramped I’ll confide Peace did not forbear when hungry to cry Stuffed, he yelped and could sleep defy He could scream but often in rest he slept Either which way on our toes we were kept. From scowls as from the sun he scampered into a shade But with coos and smiles he attention repaid Many a wonderful gurgling laughter he sprung. No matter the diction, no matter the tongue To sweet demeanour he purred in fun Our ears could hear its language or none His lack of tongue was no barrier to speech Our soul reciprocated with understanding pitch, The hearts of our ears the proper switch; Decoding commands to pat, feed, or coo to him: “Change my diapers; change my dirty clothes with grime” Or “take me hence from out of reach” He bore other names beside Little Peace Known to us and our previous foes from across the bridge Cuddled he was, to us inestimable in prize On us he depended and his needs trusted to us able thus to eat, sleep and grow in size a toddler zigzagging its path with us to adolescence.

Femi J. Kolapo University of Guelph Ontario. Canada.