XiǍ O Húdié...XiǍ O GŪ AigŪ Ai (Little Butterfly...Little Sweetie) Poem by Dónall Dempsey

The stars
finding it hard

to keep their eyes
open.

Moon
tucked up
in a comfortable cloud

already fast
asleep

turns & smiles.

Even the dark
is nodding off

dreaming of
...light

Even the cricket
has gone
asleep

even the fire
sleeps
in a nightdress
of ashes

all this
dreamy night.

Only the baby
(our little sweetie)
lies awake

playing with
the bright butterfly

dancing in her
dress of brilliant colour

bobbing
on the string
before her.

She tells the butterfly
delightedly
over & over
that she is
beauty

but the butterfly
doesn’t understand
the language of gurgle.

Somewhere
in the dark

Da da
snores

Ma ma
sleeps quiet.

*******


XUEXI HAN YU
(LEARNING CHINESE)

Shao hudie! Shao hudie! Shao hudie! Shao hudie!

your fingertips fluttering
all over my body

Little butterflies! Little butterflies! Little butterflies! Little butterflies!