-a consequence in raspberry jam-

          introducing my two-and-a-half year old son

          snacking after his feeding of nutritious food

          prepared by the hands of his mother.
          I've provided the snacks and now his hands, his face

          and hair are coated with sticky raspberry jam

          and what appears to be cake frosting, although

          no trace of cake can be found anywhere in the house.

          his mother is in another room and seems content
          to have left him in my care.

          my immediate concern is to find a way

          to wrestle him from his passion for sugar and clean him up
          before I'm nabbed in the act by his anti-sugar campaigning mother.

          I’m intrigued by his singular dismissiveness at being
          such a sticky mess.

          It would drive me crazy.

          everything he touches from his tray sticks to his hands.
          his hands stick together, finger to finger.

          his hair (Monica Vitti blonde) is matted in tufts of petrifying jam.

          I wouldn’t last a minute.
          I'm a plugged-nickel if his mother shows-up sugarless and scowling:
         “Damn It, Billy! Get Me A Facecloth With Warm Water"!

          Ohio