Our Own Little Goblin

slap slap slap slap
your bare flat feet on the floor
dancing and running
in the light from the kitchen windows
jumping (but no jumping after dark - we don't want to disturb the neighbors)

slap slap slap
Saturday night those flat little feet
slap slap slapped their way
into our bedroom
over the carpet
swish swish swish

we didn't know you were there.
swish swish swish

we didn't know you were there until Daddy turned his head to look at the clock and brushed his nose against another, smaller, colder nose.

Yikes!
he sucked in air and jumped out of bed!
I threw my arms around Kai and yelled What?! What?!
he picked you up in a big bear hug because thank god that nose was your nose and he was scared half to death

but he scared you half to death and you pulled yourself out of his arms and ran to my side of the bed (swish-swish-swish-swish!) and i tried to pull you up and into our bed, but no, you just wanted to stand there with your serious face.

Daddy, feeling guilty, got up at six-thirty to play trains.
slap slap slap slap

Again, the next night
we were exhausted with the expecting of it.
slap slap slap slap
swish swish swish swish

In the moonlight your hair blends in to the pale bookshelves along the wall
your skinny arms disappear
your eyes, brown-blue-gray orbs
float in the air like a ghost.
slap slap slap
swish swish swish.