to the little boy with chipmunk cheeks
and candy in his eyes
who can’t eat sweets for a couple of weeks
after his dental procedure, he was advised…

though you pouted at first when i told you
and you sat there steaming for a while
when i gave you a sticker your eyes grew and grew
and you broke out into a smile

i thought i’d let you know, my friend
you and your chipmunk cheeks
made a tired student laugh to no end
on a night that was otherwise brute and bleak.