Kanjini Devi
On Children
He is resentful his children take up most of his spare time; insisting we speak only English, unaware we are learning our native languages. He’s happy when times are good and overbearing when times are hard, which are more often than not. He does not realize that his validation matters more than new clothes or toys, neither of which we own. The cupboard is bare: we can live with dinner being our only meal, however, we are impoverished without his care and attention. Having reached the position of a schoolteacher through his own struggles, he’s proud of his achievement, often speaking of his own difficult childhood. He delights in giving sermons, though he is not a priest. Perhaps, if I succeed in persuading him to read Gibran. . . after all, my progenitor is doing his best. We do not know it yet, but fifty years from now, my siblings and I would have long forgiven him.
third brood of quails this summer feeding frenzy every little one nourished and nurtured
About the Author
Kanjini Devi lives in the Far North of Aotearoa New Zealand with her husband and two dogs. A poet, writer, and lover of haiku.