I will put in the box
an elephant riding a bike
a man with a tail
and the last whisper of an ancient pharaoh
I will put in the box
the most putrid smell ever
a blue giraffe
and the worst nightmare of a child
I will put in the box
an orange santa
a spell of a witch
and the fiery breath of a Chinese dragon
I will put in the box
bigfoot in a tutu
a mouse that roars
and a lion that squeaks
I will put in the box
a horrible dog diving off a duck
a sixth sense
and a fifth season.
My box is fashioned from gold and silver and bronze
with questions on the lid and answers in the corners
it’s hinges are cat leg joints and dog leg joints.
I will swim in my box to the Philippines and land in Davao,
get stuck in traffic and see water pythons at the coast.
(BATANG Mindanaw is the youth section of MindaNews. Danielle Tiu Neal, daughter of Liberty Tiu and Ron Neal, will be 9 years old next month. She is in the fourth grade at the Winshill Primary School in the United Kingdom. She has twice visited Davao City, her mother’s birthplace).