jungle stories

little red canoe floats
the river, lost in the
moment, jumping off
the rooftops into the
river below, children
gather around the
storyteller as she
creates another wonder,
old Brazilian sayings
and the time he thought
that he could eat all
those green bananas,
homemade dolls made
old corn husks, bows
and arrows, and fishing
with a stick, the river
gave and it took, what
remains only faded
images, stories told
now to youngest
singing, “Menina, vai,
com jeito vai
Senão um dia a
casa cai.”