The smile

previously published in Poetry Space, Spring Showcase 2014

The trouble with smiling
began
when she was a child
Her teeth
were never
quite right he said
Skinning her teeth, she stood accused
(with no idea what that meant)
So, she tried to
unskin her teeth
Hence always
the uncertain smile

When she left
home
Her teeth
a little older
Rotten, from never brushing quite enough
never quite right
Dazzling her teeth, hidden from the world
(with no idea what that meant)
So, she tried to
fix her teeth
Hence always
a hesitant smile

Half a century
gone
Her teeth
fixed
Almost right
with care
A smile bright

Marva Jackson Lord