Cherry

She licks the sweet red juice off her finger tips
We have been eating cherry pie
And drinking lemonade
The cherries leave a stain
On our hands
And our lips
We are in no hurry to wash the sweetness away
It is a fine way to dine
Fingers warmed by pie crusts
Taste buds brought alive
By the mix of bitter and sweet
There is a little pile of stones
Shall we count them she asks
It will be like a remembrance
A tasty meal
An awakening of the senses
She lies down
Replete and happy
She rubs her tummy
Small specks of red pass on to her apron
We will wash it off another day
The red is drying on her lips
Like lipstick
There is a small smile on her face
She drifts off to sleep
Perhaps she will dream of cherries
I wash the dishes and pull a blanket over her
Maybe tomorrow will be as sweet as today.