Perfect Prefect

You wake up everyday.

You wear your freshly dry cleaned coat.

You polish your shiny badge.

You run your fingers through your dark, curly hair.

You stop and smile at the mirror with your teeth, because you never learned how to smile without them.

You go to your friends, all accomplished,

but not as accomplished as you.

With their freshly dried coats and shiny badges,

And their perfect toothy grins.

But no badge as shiny and polished as yours,

Or no smile as wide and marketable as yours.

The day goes on and so do you.

You answer every question,

You ace a quiz,

You play a fool at the teacher,

You laugh with your friends.

You tell everyone how unprepared you are.

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It’s so perfect.

Because you’re so perfect.

With your freshly cleaned coat,

Your shiny polished badge,

And your curly dark hair.

And then you see me,

And I see you.

You say something vain,

I say something rude.

You call me mean,

I call you a pain.

And then you’ll ignore me for the rest of the day.

So perfect-

But then you smile at me,

And I can’t help but smile back…

How can I not smile at your perfectly dry cleaned coat you just got back yesterday?

At how the light bounces off the badge you spent all night polishing till perfect?

At your dark and curly hair that you’ve brushed and combed to fall perfectly on you face?

How can I not smile when you smile at me with all your teeth, and nose crinkles and your dimples show, because you never learned how to smile otherwise?