hard to imagine now
when you come running
with gap-toothed excitement
to announce
you’ve lost a tooth
and you just can’t wait
for the magic under your pillow
we almost lost you
hard to imagine now
when you come shaking
a muddy jam jar aquarium
to tell us
your tadpoles have lost their tails
and you just can’t wait
for the miracle of frogs
we almost lost you
hard to imagine now
when you come thoughtfully
to question
why the trees lose their leaves
why the flowers lose their blooms
and you just can’t wait
for marvels to be fathomed
hard to imagine
we almost lost you
before you were born
Rae Crossman