THE FIRST PEARL

the first pearl

June 25, 2025

They’ve been testing his morale.  
He’s been his normal self.  
His teeth have been making their first appearance in the world.  

A tiny push  
Through swollen pink and gum  
And months of drool.  

Three have been pushing through  
For a week now.  
And then,  
Quietly,  
The one on the far left made itself known.  
A shimmer just beneath the surface,  
Quiet as a whisper.  
Just enough  
To prove it had been coming all along.  
For anyone still wondering.  

His first pearl,  
His Maman Bozorg called it.  

We’ve been watching.  
Waiting.  
Wondering.  

And now it’s here.  

The first one.  

The beginning and the end.  
Gonna miss those gummy smiles.