Drawn Out

The last or latest
Baby tooth sits there
On the countertop

In a ziplock bag.
The Tooth Fairy now
Is just foolery,

Here’s my tooth. Oh wait,
Here’s a whole quarter.
Oh, wow, a quarter!

Laughter on both sides.
If you could outgrow
Other rituals

While still going on—
Oh look, more hair fell,
More wrinkles arrived,

Ha ha! You’re aging
So slowly, you’ve been
Old half forever,

And still you’ve got more.
When will you ever
Be done with the job?