The first thing you teach me to say:

WO XI HUAN...LILLY!

('I LIKE...LILLY! ')

You laugh & get me to repeat it
so you can hear me say it

my voice caressing the words
caressing you.

The first thing I teach myself:

'QIN...QING? '

(' May I kiss you...please? ')

SHI?

('Yes? ')

SHI?

('Yes! ')

WO GAO XING!

('I am...happy! ')


******

THE YEAR OF THE DOG!

“Go! ”
you say.

“GO! ”
you say again

this time
a little more emphatically

bite
my shoulder

with your perfect
tiny teeth.

“GO! ”

“Dog
in
Chinese! ”

“Gǒ u...Gǒ u! ”
I echo.

Later that night
I laugh

your perfect
pronunciation

printed upon
my flesh

the word
still visible
on my shoulder

Dónall Dempsey

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/wo-gao-xing-i-am-happy/