Admiringly.....

.                               .

Falling Thirds

We measure our names the same.

Across the world, when children

call out for a friend, their mother,

their favorite white goat—they have

the same intonation, the same fall

and litlt to their voice, no matter

their language;  Jahh-ee!  Mah-ma!

Pehh-dro!  My music teacher friend says

this is falling thirds:  this is proof we spoke

the same language before Babel, that maybe

a tower did fall into rock and dust, gliding

our tongues slicker past any understanding.

We speak little wants, call little kisses

into our ears across beanfields, sand,

saltwater.  Still, we sing the same songs.

                    ~Aimee Nezhukumatathil                                      

  from  here