at 16 months

a twist of tortellini
becomes a muscleman’s puzzle
as he furrows his eyebrows
gripping the circle
in his tiny fingers
pulling it hard as he can
till it splits in half
then he breaks in-
to a grin of victory
with the sight
of cheese peeking out
from the torn dough
and rewards himself
with a chew
no faster than
two teeth on top
matched by two below