You lay beside me in the dark
practicing all your new words
rolling them around in your mouth
like candies
whispering
laughing
at the way
somehow
nine sounds like granny
when you say it
I stayed quiet
curled up next to the heat of you
they say kids are warmer than us
because of all the running around
but I think it’s the brain
boiling over
trying on
everything
it sees.