I learned a few words
in Cherokee: o-si-yo
wa-do
ah-we
jees-qwa
ga-gay-you-ethey fit in my mouth
like soft fruit
when I speak
one
its power and music
stun me—
I am the wizard
and here
is my first spell
magic first cast by great-grandparents
so long ago
awakened each time
these syllables fly
from my tongue...These Syllables Fly
by Carol L. Hatfield
Illustrated by Sawsan Chalabi
text © 2019 by Carol L. Hatfield, art © 2019 by Sawsan Chalabi
30