People say Nice pegs
when they see you now.
They ask how many you have
in that mouth and wonder
if your mum is OK.
They tell me to enjoy this time,
don’t wish it away. They say
things will never be as easy as this
and you fall
face first on to a tiled floor
and your bottom teeth
introduce your blood to the world.
The pain is water
flowing into every gap it can find.

© Carl Burkitt 2021