Bida!
Bida!
Jarzębida!

The richness
Of language
Is the poverty
Of my toddler’s tongue.

*A little explanatory note for my non-Polish speakers out here: “jarzębina” is the Polish name for the rowan plant and its berries. My daughter is currently often replacing the “n” sound with a “d” sound, hence “jarzębida” in the poem above. She runs around the park pointing out rowan berries and shouting at the top of her voice “Bida! Bida!”. “Bida” is the colloquial form of the word “bieda” which means poverty. It cracks me up that she’s running around announcing this. This was the starting point for the poem.