Smashing the Cake

As people cheer, the birthday girl Swipes fingers at the cake. A glob of frosting coats her hand But this is no mistake. For after all the singing And the candles have been blown, The birthday baby gets a cake To smash that's hers alone. It's part of a tradition When a child is turning 1; As chocolate's smeared on face and clothes, We get to watch the fun. The messy part's a memory That phones will have preserved And while somebody cleans her up, The real cake's cut and served. It's really quite adorable But what I cannot gauge Is just how cute the child will find it, At a later age.