it's one of those nights
when God looks through the keyhole at the children who are not yet asleep
when insomnia makes tumult
and hides phone calls

mother is coming

she looks like she's got her eyes all clouded
early in the morning I had asked her what love is
from the doorway she started to say softly as if she was comforting me

love is a child with bare feet in a cold river
it's a bear trap
it's a net full of fish
it's a deer frightened of the hunter
it's a millipede for which you're looking shoes to put on

love is a sky that has room for everyone's eyes

in fact
love is when you fall asleep on daddy's hand
and for hours he doesn't move
so he won't wake you up