Smile Lost: a story-poem

 

He snuggles close on my lap,
dear boy with tears dripping,
heart as broken as the toy that fell apart.

“Can you smile?” I ask, brushing droplets away.

An emphatic shake of the head.
No. No smiles.

So I wink and draw in a shocked breath,
“You lost your smile?” I clutch him tight,
“What shall we do? What shall we do?
No smile? Oh, dear.”

And at the strange expressions and exaggerated tone,
what once was lost is found.