Sage at 2 1/2
Posted Wednesday, Sep 23rd, 2009 at 2:07pmI found this poem in a folder of old poems.
Supper went by quick
Can I have dessert
Now?!
“This much”
Gesturing with his hands in a “V”
Over the chocolate cake
And I follow his exact request
And thunk the slab-o-cake onto a Beatrix Potter plate.
He handles the large fork with more dexterity
Than I have ever seen him use.
He cuts – using two hands – pushing straight down
Fingertips plunging on the way through icing
With the first bite in his mouth he hums:
“Mmmmmmmmmmm”
And licks his fork clean.
My son delights in his cake.
He peels off the shiny icing
Licks the cream underneath
And shears off another piece with both hands pushing down.
Now there is chocolate on his nose
And long thin chocolate fork smears on each cheek
Like whiskers
His knees have chocolate smudges where crumbs have dropped
And been retrieved
I stare at his pure pleasure
Until he glances up
And sees me seeing him.
He stops for a moment
Raises up his eyebrows in two little peaked hills of acknowledgment
Then rests his attention again on chocolate.
Half the slice left, he pierces it
Raises it
And asks if he can eat the whole thing
No, I make him take small bites off of it
Which suck and click in his mouth
To the last big chunk balanced on top of the fork, I nod - OK
And he eats the whole giant piece
Filling his mouth
In delight.