Ice Cream on a Plate

Ice cream on a plate

reminds me of

birthdays:

sitting around the table

under wafting waxy candle smoke,

soggy cake

and vanilla cream puddles

scooped on bending spoons,

laughter in our cousins’ icing smiles,

playing kick the can

in the asphalt dark,

and wet feet

in the cold grass–

young enough

not to think of candles

running out.