Daddy's Globe

Maria Famà

Daddy's Globe

To help us learn geography

our father bought an inflatable globe

blew up this plastic world

with his breath

green seas flowed

mountains rose

he secured the copper tubes

at the North and South Poles

onto the metal axis

placed our globe on its stand

then, Daddy spun the Earth for us

we learned to spot booted Italy

Sicily the football it kicked

our family’s home

we found England, France, Germany

where Daddy fought in the War

we found the USA with its many states

Canada above Mexico below

South America and Africa like puzzle pieces

Facing each other across the Atlantic

our father called out

China, India, Australia, Greece, Ireland, Russia,

Nigeria, Ethiopia, Argentina, Brazil

we found them all in bright colors

we found the oceans, too

sometimes when Daddy was at work

we unscrewed our planet from its axis

tossed it around like a beach ball

the world containing our father’s breath

in our playful hands.