The first thing you teach me to say: <br /> <br />WO XI HUAN...LILLY! <br /> <br />('I LIKE...LILLY! ') <br /> <br />You laugh & get me to repeat it <br />so you can hear me say it <br /> <br />my voice caressing the words <br />caressing you. <br /> <br />The first thing I teach myself: <br /> <br />'QIN...QING? ' <br /> <br />(' May I kiss you...please? ') <br /> <br />SHI? <br /> <br />('Yes? ') <br /> <br />SHI? <br /> <br />('Yes! ') <br /> <br />WO GAO XING! <br /> <br />('I am...happy! ') <br /> <br /> <br />****** <br /> <br />THE YEAR OF THE DOG! <br /> <br />“Go! ” <br />you say. <br /> <br />“GO! ” <br />you say again <br /> <br />this time <br />a little more emphatically <br /> <br />bite <br />my shoulder <br /> <br />with your perfect <br />tiny teeth. <br /> <br />“GO! ” <br /> <br />“Dog <br />in <br />Chinese! ” <br /> <br />“Gǒ u...Gǒ u! ” <br />I echo. <br /> <br />Later that night <br />I laugh <br /> <br />your perfect <br /> pronunciation <br /> <br />printed upon <br />my flesh <br /> <br />the word <br />still visible <br />on my shoulder<br /><br />Dónall Dempsey<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/wo-gao-xing-i-am-happy/
