The baby was both beautiful and bright,
her features delicate, her mind full range.
Her parents viewed and hugged her with delight,
but then the mother started acting strange.
As if afraid of brilliance, or repelled
by infant helplessness becoming strength
of will, she marshaled any tool she held,
attempting to keep quickness at arm’s length.

She sought opinions and she tried to force
a toddler to conform to expectation.
She picked and nagged and often yelled of course,
which only drove the child to frustration.
The mother freaked, although it made no sense
to act in fear of that intelligence.