In my house now
One cooked tonight
For the first time
A chicken curry delight

All the rest are Italian
with accents unfamiliar
from Milan and Le Cinque Terre
Challenging my grasp
Of a wonderful language
I thought I knew well

These boys now sit back
in front of the television
when I’d rather talk
about the meaning of life

But we have eaten and drunk well
they will relax in their own way
after discussions in two languages
to my delight

They keep me alive
these young men
reminding me
of when I was twenty seven

Adventures then I had
and they now
learning languages
as you go on surviving
in a new world

How I’d love to feel
Innocence again
Making my eyes open wide
Seeing things not seen before

What a blessing are these boys
part of my everyday life
taking me back
to those days of exploring the world!