sunflowers

Three's turned herself

upside down again,
she crows, she kicks
her heels above her head
merrily, her legs long now,
summer brown stems,
and her feet are like sunflowers

(how i love the round
proud bowl of her belly
flipped now over her dainty chin,
over her grin, wide
over her teeth)

three is a fierce season,
an age of fists and teeth
into the world
(such tiny perfect teeth,
like white pebbles)
she shrieks, she crows,
peremptory, jubilant

Daughter, don't ever give up kicking your heels.
When you change your thin chest
and your round cheeks
for a full size set
keep on insisting
keep on crowing,
shriek your need.

Sunflower soul, keep
turning the world
around your bright wide joy