Socks

‘Start from the back,’ you say
each day for weeks and weeks
to your toddler’s patience stretched
by pulling up her socks.

Her attention coalesced
shatters like a bulb
and sun escapes in agony
flowering in a smile.

Do it for her, or
she does it for herself.

But neither path delays
the budding pincer grasp
that drags the light each day
over your naked heart.