Mwanadongo - child of the earth

She has not come again today
This is the seventh day
The little ones miss her most

9 years old and she teaches us
how to say their names
Abidemi...Tumaini...Nyambura
Some we just call Baba

When they first arrive, they are dusty
knotted, all eyes and belly
She takes the bow-boned limbs
and unfolds them into children

Each takes forever to feed
drop by drop; porridge, milk, medicine
and she bends her head to this task
as other children bend to spelling and sums

Leaf brown, sapling thin
knobbling to the nape - chained
with ebony, amber, bone -
her back smudges in the crowd
flashing like a shy bird in a forest

But I am not sure it is her
3 days later, her mother returns the beads
I had braided in her hair
'Asseblief', she says, and 'Dankie'

Baba - Baby
Asseblief - Please
Dankie - Thank you