come on down to the Mermaid Cafe

			404

i look at him
sandwich in hand
slowly eating
and see blood
not much, but enough for us to look more closely

five and three-quarters and there goes tooth number one
number two followed in the same manner the next day

take a bite of lunch
swallow a tooth

his big CHEESE smile has a gap now
two front teeth, the ones on the bottom,	
						gone
ready to ride this rodeo again

he doesn’t seem to notice

my son is growing
my baby is 404 not found
he’s learning a new world
he’s living with technology as if it were a friend
		personified
	his tablet may not pass a turing test 
			but it will suffice
		red and black case in hand
	gap-toothed smile
	videos on repeat  
	legos and paw patrol
	grown-ups unboxing toys
	(i don’t get it, don’t comprehend this magnetic pull)
	shopkins, blatant consumerism to be collected
	playdoh before the colors have been used and browned

he smiles
	a space ready for grown-up teeth
      he smiles
	a space the size of my child

a baby no longer
we smile at each other
	giggles

the moment is past
	gone
not found any longer