A Trip To The Zoo

My twelve-year old girl flips on the pages of the book from my bag. I know she doesn’t understand a thing. Or maybe she just isn’t interested. I can almost see her bickering inside her head. And what I notice is how cute she is with her red headband on. Her pout is exactly like her mother’s.

My five-year old boy just watches in amazement as the outside world zooms past us. He even points to unlit neon-light billboards just as the train gradually comes to a halt. Ate gives him a crooked smile when he calls her attention. Just like this time as he mulls over the row of trees that lines the view.

My girlfriend, a Russian prostitute, misses our babies. I call her up to tell her this whole bright scenario. My girl, my boy, and this perfect sunny day.

Eighteen years and everything still seems like the day we met at Manila Zoo.

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You’ve got that look again
The one I hoped I had when I was a lad
Your face is just beaming
Your smile got me boasting
My pulse roller-coastering

Anyway the four winds that blow
They’re going to send me sailing home to you
Or I’ll fly with the force of a rainbow
The dream of gold will be waiting in your eyes

Her faith is amazing
The pain that she goes through
Contained in the hope for you
Your whole world has changed
The years spent before seem more cloudy than blue

In many ways your baby’s controlling
When you haven’t laid down for days
For the poor no time to be thinking
They’re too busy finding ways

You know, I’d do most anything you want
Hey, I try to give you everything you need
I can see that it gets to you

I don’t believe in many things
But in you, I do

~ For Your Babies by Simply Red

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Originally published on Multiply