Spacing Poem by Ifi Amadiume

Spacing
This way out,
This getting away,
From it all,
Would seem to do with
Seeking wider spacing,
Seeking,
Not necessarily aloneness,
For one who loves,
Loving to love.

Living life immensely,
In intensity,
Seeking warmth,
That ignition to life,
That sparkle,
Shining in ourselves,
Glowing from others,
Babies thriving from it,
This life light we shine,
See how they oogle, guggle,
Bubbling first smiles in life,
Oozing milk and cream,
Seeking attention,
Wanting to be touched,
To be caringly caressed,
Learning to love.

Feeling this life giving force,
Slowly,
To grow slowly in life's first stages.
I see babies doing it.
Our responses sometimes cold.
Even so,
Slowly,
Babies keep smiling,
Babies keep oogling,
Sometimes,
Like me,
Insisting on a response.
Hey, see how that baby smiles,
For you,
At you,
How can you not see it,
This magic,
Then tissues fly out,
Wipers wiping,
Extra milk oozing out
Tiny smiling gummy mouths.
Hey, not a hug?
Not a touch?
Perhaps that's only for close family?
Thankfully,
African strangers don't get inhibited,
Quickly smiling back and more,
Quickly caressing baby and more,
Quickly smiling back and more,
Then lifting and hugging,
Tears of affection
Oozing out of loving eyes,
Mixing with extra oozing,
Baby milk and cream,
Loving to love.

Oh, the first compassions of life.
When I was a child,
I did childish things,
When I grew big,
I did...
Babies outdoing a space moonwalker,
In determined quickness of pacing,
Learning first steps,
In fun open spaces,
The straightening of back,
The quick taking of steps,
The drawing of attention,
To say how am I doing?
Then to hear it said well done!
And I joining in,
Slowly,
Feigning learning!
This magic and more,
As a toddler goes even further,
Daring more steps as in life,
In response reaction.

Getting away,
This other way out!
Through more humane spacing,
We seek in life,
Learning life's steps,
Loving to love.

(Ifi Amadiume, London, July 31,2017)