Friday, December 12, 2008

The Dental Hygienist

She said "open up,"

so I showed her my teeth,

a chipped-white fence

that keeps my tongue penned in.


She rinsed my mouth.

She suctioned my cheek.


She said "How do you like this town?"

so I said "Mmpllff"

though I meant "More every day,"


and she said "Gorgeous weather!"

so I said "Mmpllff"

though I meant "In my mouth?"


and she didn't say anything,

so I said "Mmpllff" and "Mmpllff"

though I'm not sure what I meant,

and she took me to mean 
"Would you like to go out tonight?"

and "to an expensive restaurant?"


When I arrived with a bouquet of roses,

she stuffed them in my mouth.


She told me all about her feelings:

how she feels about fillings,

how she feels about failures.


She said "open up." 
She said "It's like pulling teeth

trying to get men to talk about their feelings."


So I said "Mmpllff"

though I meant "You smell prettier than the flowers in my mouth,"

and I said "Mmpllff"

she thought I meant "I'm afraid of dying alone."


She said I was a good conversationalist

and showed me her perfect teeth.

I felt an ache in my jaw.

I felt drool crawling down my chin.

Tom C. Hunley

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