These are the baby teeth you forgot about

the pieces of you that you don't remember 

the sweetness of your innocence

the roots of your upbringing 

that passed by in rollerskates and scraped knees

the smell of freshly cut grass

as you checked the mail

the excitement of using a straw through your 

toothless smile was the last clean window into your soul

before you drew the curtains and locked the door

when your parents divorced 

leaving you to play tug of war 

until your calloused hands 

became fists

I watched you trade candy for cigarettes 

bubble gum for braces

hopscotch for teenage angst 

because your mother no longer calls

and your childhood home with the cherry tree is now someone else's story

and the baby teeth you forgot about 

were once apart of you

to teach you that loss wont

sting forever and you will

grow once more