Poetry Friday--"American Bambina"

A Sketchbook Project poem for this most patriotic of American holidays!

Caption: Civarro family, 2106 Second Avenue, second floor back, working on patriotic flag pins. They get 3 cents a gross for inserting pin and putting onto card. Mrs. Civarro with her three-months-old baby in her arms is working with four children aged 10, 9, 7 and 5, and a younger child that does not work (2 years). They work irregularly (as Mrs. Civarro does the janitor work for the building which is in fair condition, and receives in return only the rent free of three small rooms), and their net income for this work is $2 a week. 8 members of the family sleep in one small inner room. The tenement is not licensed for homework. Baby was a premature child and very small and frail. "It is so skinny." Husband is a laborer. Location: New York, New York (State). Date: May 21, 1917. Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine, courtesy Library of Congress.

American Bambina

I was born in this country
as were the four after me.

Only Gaspare was born
in the old country.

Did you know Gaspare
means "treasure"?

He's Mama's golden, first
born bambino. Only one is first.

But, Gaspare does not find it
easy counting to 144.

And, he does not have my
quick nimble fingers.

I'm the first American born.
Why doesn't that count?

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

I had intended to write something about being an red-blooded American as proven by the red-speckled pin-pricked skin resulting from in-home piece work. That idea fell by the wayside when the nine year old girl pushed her way to the front. She's an over-worked child, but she's also a sibling! Sometimes sibling rivalry is the most important issue in a child's life.

Have a safe 4th of July holiday! Start the fireworks going with the colorful poems being featured today at My Juicy Little Universe where Heidi is hosting the Round-Up.