Superhero the 1st

"Look!" the little one squeals
I've never seen him so excited
palm facing up, showing
me his brand new secret.

"I'm a superhero!"
he whispers, lest his inevitable
archenemy hear us
and find the boy, unaware.

Standing proud on whorls
and swirls of flesh, breaking
through life line and those
of heart, fate, head...

This crazy spiral of angry flesh
is the source of his powers
invisibility when no one's around
and flying in his dreams.

His mother appears, scowling
her disapproval
"Now he's learned his lesson
about getting too close to the stove."

I smile at the miniature do-gooder
- wink, assure my complicity
in the guarding of his secret
I'll never tell.