As I wash dishes
in the sink,
I hear you babbling in the next room.
I talk to you as if you could answer me back.
“Are you talking to me baby, or your toys?”
The t.v. flashes unfamiliar faces in the corner
of the living room.
When I finish, I watch you stop playing
to watch the screen.
Your body stiffens in excitement as you babble
some more.