Your laughter rings....(for Aria)
Your laughter rings through the halls of academe
bouncing off the benchtops,
rattling the racks of tubes
lifting my heart.
I marvel at you leaping around, reckless, cheerfully abandoned.
You make me repeat my words
over and over and over...
your precious mind incapable of boredom.
Years later I may see you--
I will foolishly recount
our conversations, searching eagerly
for a flicker of remembrance
seeing only your laughing three-year-old face amidst your composed features.
You will smile, shyly, patiently,
not remembering, but still you will smile
out of kindness for this fond, wistful stranger
for already I can tell there is great kindness in you
little one.