You have no risky behaviour
except your gluttony for berries
which you hoard at potlucks
and grab from bushes by the fistful
which is why I sat you down
and made my face look very firm
as I explained that some berries
are so bad for you that you can die
and I hadn’t explained death before
but I said it with such alarm
I figured you would glean
it was something to avoid
but then you spent all day
telling me about the ways you
almost did a die
like when you slipped on the mud
or stubbed your toe on a log
but it was tonight
when I knew for sure
it hadn’t sunk in
as you cuddled into me
in your bed
and asked with straightforward joy
mama, let’s die
and then tomorrow
can we have waffles
with those huckleberries I picked.