Poetry Goes to the Dentist

The long thin needle

taps a nerve — zing

goes a memory, left

unattended and numb

after he forgot about it.

Calls from his ex-lover,

in which he calls her

“my dear friend” have

ceased to smart the space

behind my eyes, making

it simple and safe

to drill and puncture,

fill and sand

with no consequences,

no plans.