nearby a creek babbles, laughing like a child
one with cherry red cherub cheeks
humor doused in doses of naiveté

i’m reminded of myself here—
freckled like a forest floor,
a honeysuckle-sweet streak

faithful as little ones nestled neatly beneath a fig tree
mosquitoes form a halo above a tangled brown mess of hair
newborn legs tremble like leaves in wind

nowadays my heart is royal
though at times the flesh forgets,
lost as morning light filters through leaf canopies
dappled like a fawn’s soft speckled fleece