He glances my way
And laughs at the way
I stub my big toe
On the twisted nail
Hanging out from the
Frame of the door.
Hey, I say, crossing my
Arms and looking
At him hard, I’m
Not that clumsy!
Yes you are, he replies,
A twinkle of amusement
Embedded in crystal
Eyes, yes you are
Very clumsy and maladroit,
But you’re so adorable
At the same time –
Like a young child
First learning how to
Walk.
Frowning, I pout and
Stick my tongue out
At him, a childish
Gesture that cost me
A few maturity points,
But I don’t care, because
I am not clumsy, and
So what if I accidentally
Tripped – it’s part of
Human nature to be
Flawed, and there’s
Nothing wrong with that.
He grins at me again,
His smile a brilliant
White flash of pearls;
Don’t be silly, he
Comments teastingly,
You know I love you
No matter what you
Do; being clumsy
Is what makes you
You, and I can never
Love you just as much
If you were perfect.
I don’t know whether
To be angry or happy,
But I smile at his comment,
And laugh at his
Use of the world ‘love’;
I still don’t care what
You say, I return,
Sticking out my
Chin stubbornly and
Stomping my feet
For show, I still am not
Clumsy; it’s just the
Nail, I tell you,
It’s not fair. It’s clearly
The wall’s fault and not
Mine because my feet
Were perfectly balanced
And I was paying
Attention well enough.
He shakes his head in
Response and only
Looks at me again
With the annoying
Twinkle in his eye,
As if he knows
Something that I don’t;
You’re so adorable,
He comments lightly,
Reaching over and
Grabbing my hand;
You’re so cute and
Cuddly and I just
Want to hold you.
I glare at him and
Sniff superiorly.
Fine, I resolve, say
What you want, but
Under no circumstances am
I clumsy. It’s just the
Stupid wall’s
Fault.