When I was very young
I lived with a professional couple.
I worked as a child at that time,
and the money wasn’t good.
The couple helped out with room and board.
They did my banking for me.
They attended to my requests
for books, music, toys, and fruit.
They provided soft animals
for me to play with
and flowers to smell.
There was a car service.
They fetched things from high shelves.
They even cleaned the shower.
To show my appreciation,
I entertained them in the evenings.
I would name foreign rivers
and talk about the different layers
of tropical rainforests.
I spelled ‘prestidigitation’
and told them that they use the shilling
in Kenya and that the universe
will expand endlessly
and chill to a friendless emptiness.
Oh, we enjoyed ourselves.
It wasn’t long before I changed jobs
and left. (I’m now an adult child.)
I think about those people sometimes.