Welcome, human girl, to the underside of the mountains, 
where a sun sometimes blocks out the ever-present cloud, 
and rays fall to pool stars in puddles by backed-up drains. 

At night, once the suns clear, Chessies (cat and piece alike) 
do tend to disregard the array of dewdrops that dance in the sky 
as children splash in gutters still full of light. Shadow clumps 

crowd the concrete below. Parents, for fear of meteoric infections, 
summon their littles inside rosebush walls. There are ceilings, at least, 
Alice. Some things ring familiar. Ceilings made of vines and simpático 

snakes absorbing the light to live. Warm, like above, yes? 
Come inside. The cats are waiting to serve you a Jabberwock 
steak, fluff you a high perch so you may survey the home, 

safe little pet. Oh? No, pet here just means friend. But 
we shall scream if you go outside. Never go outside again, Alice. 
Plants are waiting to hurt you. No, not the roses. Thorns are simpático. 

Just say kiitos like a tottelevainen lapsi, buena niñita. You do not understand? 
How limited you are to one western vocabulary. Trilingual? ¿Qué es eso? 
We simply have muchos synonyms, hermanas por cada palabra, typerys dulce. 

So sorry. Let me slow down and pick out your mother’s words 
fed from her breast, she who never handed you a fork. 
Say thank you, obedient child, good little girl. Every word has a sister, 

sweet fool. 

Silver winner of this contest: https://allpoetry.com/contest/2830728-National-Poetry-Month-April-5th-noguest