Tarapore

I found the longest earthworm

In the history of the universe

And yelled for you to come see.

You stepped on it

With your black plastic school shoes

And said

now there are three.

She has decided to work.

She will miss the little things, they say.

But when everyone is asleep

She brings out her inks

and we paint.

They are the most beautiful colours I have ever seen.

The three of us wait by the street

It is an exciting time

We have never had a car before.

I lie in the back

If I look up, I can see the whole sky.

My mother holds three slender pods in her palm

If you spit on them, they will pop

She says.

I look, disbelieving, at the spit that pools

In the hollow of her broad smooth palms

They will pop

If you spit on them

She says.

And they do.