2023 AWAKENING xvi

153. dribbling drool…
     from baby’s mouth
     cool drizzle
     
154. Mother’s Day
     the smell of milk
     and baby powder
     
155. sharing milk
     with the baby
     hazy moon
     
156. toddler’s fist
     toward the sky…
     hazy moon
     
157. washing a hand
     of grape jelly
     starry night
     
158. full moon —
     sleeping baby curls into
     itself
     
159. full moon
     mum doesn’t believe
     her expanding belly
     
160. spring blizzard
     bag full of soiled
     nappies
     
161. spring flakes
     drying nappies
     flaps the clothesline
     
162. distant thunder…
     listening to the echoes
     of baby fart
     
163. thinning fog
     squeezed baby powder
     wends it way

2023 AWAKENING xv

142. rolling thunder
     a flurry of baby farts
     felt in my arms
     
143. full moon
     under sleeping blanket
     snoring baby
     
144. folded nappies
     in neat piles
     snowy peaks
     
145. squatting baby
     its butt prints hardening…
     mud dumplings
     
146. spring leaves —
     baby’s handprints
     is something to cherish
     
147. evening breeze
     baby and mother exchange
     yawns
     
148. baby rolls
     towards my feet
     worm moon
     
149. wiping baby drool
     from its mouth…
     melting icicles
     
150. sinking moon—
     sleeping baby sinks
     then disappears
     
151. crescent moon
     newborn curls upon
     my knees
     
152. excited baby
     summons his mummy
     clapping thunder

2023 AWAKENING xiv

131. spring moon —
     full baby bottle rolling
     on the kitchen floor
     
132. hellish heat
     feverish baby
     gets swiped
     
133. spring mudslide–
     cranky baby
     poops on mum
     
134. sleeping baby
     strapped tight into mum’s shoulders
     full moon
     
135. full moon–
     newborn strolls
     through the living room
     
136. NICU concert–
     newborns
     are crying

*NICU neonatal intensive care unit

137. baby farts
     flying with gusto…
     spring breeze
     
138. scarlet baby
     bathed in tears
     red sun
     
139. hot sunrise
     enjoying
     baby’s warmth
     
140. dying without
     ever taking a breath…
     blue baby

*Blue Baby Syndrome

141. day thunder
     the sound of baby farts
     not seen

2023 AWAKENING xiii

121. using her fingers
     concerned mum searches
     for a slight fever
     
122. lingering summer heat
     hazy memories
     of baby’s fever
     
123. papa’s lullaby
     changing its timbre…
     skin-chilling air
     
124. crawling baby
     shrinks its shadow
     hazy moon
     
125. day moon
     so many shapes
     of nappies
     
126. autumn chill…
     singing mother speaks
     in her mother’s tongue
     
127. winter fog last photo of my youth
     
128. sleeping newborn
     stays in my arms
     day moon
     
129. feeding spoon
     the full moon’s
     eternal smile
     
130. soup spoon —
     sunlight seeps into
     my bones

2023 AWAKENING xii

111. sickle moon
     sleeping baby
     curls out of sight
     
112. spring rain
     counting newborn’s
     tears
     
113. peeking at
     newborn’s sleeping head…
     hazy moon
     
114. hazy moon —
     newborn’s head between
     sleeping blankets
     
115. morning drizzle
     newborn baby with piss-poor
     aim
     
116. moon-gazing
     watching closely
     sleeping baby
     
117. powdered snow
     baby formula
     stretched to nothing
     
118. dry avalanche…
     baby formula
     falling straight down
     
119. blown away
     by newborn’s farts…
     autumn chill
     
120. sleeping newborn
     with high fevers
     summer heat

2023 AWAKENING xi

100. trying to read
     late-night thermometer
     wormy scribbles
     
101. hazy moon
     spilt formula
     stains mum’s nightshift
     
102. red moon
     how many berries
     stains baby’s mouth?
     
103. wormy scribbles
     it’s sleepy time
     for baby
     
104. thick moonlight
     between my fingers
     folded nappy
     
105. lunar eclipse
     mum examines the position
     of soiled nappies
     
106. snowy peaks
     the stack of nappies
     taller than the house
     
107. heavy snow
     the slow accumulation
     of folded nappies
     
108. baby’s snores
     merge with mum’s snores…
     spring breeze
     
109. fresh milk–
     pouring into my glass
     thin moonlight
     
110. pouring out
     fresh milk…
     thin moonlight

2023 AWAKENING x

90. rolling thunder
    baby’s crying grows
    even louder
    
91. spring clouds–
    lined up in the pale blue
    drying nappies
    
92. snowy mountains–
    newly purchased nappies
    all lined up
    
93. spring snowballs–
    ball by ball lined up
    soiled nappies
    
94. aired nappies
    the lined-up row
    of billowing clouds
    
95. a stirring of nappies
    on the clothesline
    billowing clouds
    
96. summer showers
    the baby pees
    again and again
    
97. summer drought
    sleeping baby ceases
    to drool
    
98. thick moonlight
    mum drops a nappy
    into the bin
    
99. noon breeze a crescendo of snores
    

2023 AWAKENING ix

80. avalanche
    a baby spews out
    baby formula
    
81. waterfall–
    a baby stands pissing
    in its nappy
    
82. spring river–
    where piss dribbles
    dribbles down
    
83. summer lake–
    baby pissing a perfect
    circle
    
84. spring drizzle
    from baby’s nappy
    piss waterfall
    
85. summer drizzle-
    a baby stands pissing
    in its nappy
    
86. sunny spot
    sleeping baby’s
    pissing place
    
87. sleeping baby
    a sliver of sunlight
    beneath its nappy
    
88. soiled nappy
    every one looks
    like a snowball
    
89. summer snowballs
    nappies on the playground
    motionless