These little everyday things

There are seven things that do not fail to cheer me up when they happen.

Seven things that cost me nothing.

The baby's smile in the morning upon waking, when our eyes meet.

The clucking of hens pecking at the corn that I put to dry in the sun.

The smell of kaolin that fills the air when the rain falls on the dusty ground.

The sight of a little bird sheltering from the rain under the roof of my bedroom.

The fortunate coincidences, when I have a sudden urge for homemade yogurt, and a visitor brings it to me.

The narrow escapes, when on several occasions I fail to fall from the mototaxi, and God forbid.

The relief I feel when I finish an article, a story.

These little everyday things often go unnoticed,

Sometimes disappear under the pain of the effort they involve.

And yet, when I come to realize it,

When I manage to capture the blessings of these moments,

They do not only make my day, they make my life.

Ivanova N. Fotso