Loose dark curls and gap-tooth smile
Deep creases under new bright eyes
You resemble your mothers brother as a child
even as your baby cheeks turn inward
Sensitive but less resolute
Your small body already vexed
Full of uneasiness with the blight on empathy
that permeates post-pandemic beingness
You wear the shame of painted toenails and judgement of other children
You are not easily amused
Some say you complain too much
And I know you are terrified by your own thoughts
But you do know how to smile and melt hearts
and your laughter is a resonant, calm cupcake
You are making your way through
this tiresome suffocating world
And you will always be your mother’s favorite