All I Want for Christmas

Growing up in a small town in Bangalore
was both a breeze and a constant challenge
we were raring to rule the world and more
while wrestling with compliance and balance

I studied in St. Charles, a convent school
for girls only, “inhabited” by nuns
my friend and I were always playing the fool
most every day engaged in silly stunts

My friend, Ms S, as we shall call her
had rather a prominent false front tooth
an in-and-out source of fun and terror
both she and I pranksters out for a hoot

One time we were caught chewing gum in class
the teacher made us stand outside the room
not sure why we still played the giddy-ass
saw punishment as fun, not doom and gloom

Still chewing, we looked up between sniggers
spotted the “princy” leaving her office
but before she got close enough to us
we spat our gum into a bed of hibiscus

She passed us by with a disgruntled look
as we managed to slouch and act forlorn
then Ms S turned to me with a wide smirk
and Oh My God! I saw her front tooth gone

and we both got down, all fingers and thumbs
instead of panic, in tears of laughter
scrabbling in flowerbed for tooth stuck to gum
the story retold forever after!