'How Is It Possible' Poem by Toshie Nohara

Ever so amazed and curious
Eyes open wide to see
What’s around them
New things excite them
Unfamiliar faces fascinate them
Their brains always full of questions
Their minds start to wonder when
Interesting sounds attract them
Ears alert, hearing
Anything funny or unusual
Set them
Puzzling
Young children all over the world
At age two or three
Ask hundreds of questions everyday
They want to know more about
What they see, hear or eat
When they don’t understand
Something they first experienced
They thirst for explanation from adults
Asking What? When? Why? and How?

Oh Great grandson of my mother
Always eager and cheerful
With surprise for the family
Looked up with delight at his own grandma (my sister)
Once shouted with excitement
“Before lunch great grandma has teeth in her mouth”
“But just now I saw her brushing
her teeth in her hand! ”
“How come! ? ” he asked
“Magic! ” he asked again
Still inquisitive he kept asking
“How come great grandma’s teeth are
in the mug of water at night? ”

Before his own grandma could explain
There was much laughter
So great grandson waited
Then he heard the real answer

“Great grandma
Lost her natural teeth
So she needed dentures to chew food”

“Dear grandson you eat with your natural teeth in the mouth”
“and you brush your teeth the normal way”
“Great grandma has to remove
Her dentures from her mouth”
And she has to brush her teeth (dentures) in her hand”
“At night she puts her teeth
In the mug of water”

Satisfied great grandson smiled
Feeling proud he knows that
It’s not majic
Because its possible
Great grandma’s teeth are not in her mouth, but
In the mug
And she can put them on again

So great grandson was proud and happy
He never ask “How Is It Possible? ”