they dress him in braces
that hold up his jeans
to just under his chest
with a red cap on top
he is baby brother
to the tweedles
both dum and dee
special built boots for club feet
adjust a walking slant
that can’t make up its mind
to be either a jaunt
or a topple-in-progress
under the cap is the devil of a grin
and the gleam from his eyes
could be a boy’s glass marbles
peeping out from a close-held bag
but
ohhhh
look at my pants nurse
it’s an outrage
to be wet again
ohhhh
look nursey
look at my pants
who’s going to change him
ohhhh
and after that
it’s unspoken but shared
that it’s ever so much better
dear nursey
sweet nurse
much much better
to be dry
he slant-saunters away
hidden somewhere under the brim
of his hat
tweedle-ee tweedle-ay
tweedle-um
~