Have you noticed that children learn how to say no much sooner than they learn how to say yes? One of Evan’s first words was no, although it came out sounding more like nyet. (For awhile we were wondering if he were part Russian.)  Molly speaks in body language. When she is done with her bottle, she uses both hands to forcefully push it away. Neither child can say anything resembling yes, and  the body language for yes is more subtle than for no – a light in their eyes, a smile, a wiggling in their seat. 

Grandparents, on the other hand, have a very difficult time saying no. Our mouths and tongues are physically able to form the word, but somehow it  has difficulty getting past our lips. Recently, I wrote a poem that addresses this issue. During the April Poem A Day challenge on writersdigest.com, Robert Brewer challenged us to write a senryu. This poetic form is like the haiku in that it has three lines, with 5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables respectively. The difference is in the subject matter. Haiku traditionally has themes of nature, while senryu speaks to the human condition.

Here’s my senryu:   Reaching for cookie,
                                        little eyes look up to me.
                                        Indulgence tastes good.