Wakes up early in the morning
Clears the bottle from the table 
Sweeps up all last night’s confetti 
Then he gets the breakfast ready 
For Malena 
Lights the fire in the kitchen 
Drags the trash out to the gutter 
Then he goes and gently wakes her 
For the public school to take her 
His Malena 

All day long he works for money
Preparing food for other people 
Though he often feels unready 
Knows he must stay steady 
For Malena 

She takes the bus home in the evening 
Does her homework at the table 
Then she plays behind the kitchen 
Waits for them to finish 
(That’s Malena?) 
When the night is finally over 
Lids are heavy at the table 
Before she falls asleep he asks her 
How the day went 
For Malena