Dental Hygiene
Emily Kulich
You floss your teeth in front of me for the first time, Wiggling the thin white string between each healthy tooth. I sit on your bathtub’s wall trying not to slip into slumber and It’s nearly midnight and your beard is growing longer each day. How long do you think facial hair can grow? I’m comfortable in your sweatpants- cuffed at the ankleAnd your worn-in long-sleeve t-shirtBoth of which you store in your kitchen cabinet. Our eyes meet through the bathroom mirror’s reflection. You pause, with string hanging from two of your teeth To insist, “This is the real me.” And although you’re picking chewed particles From old food stuck in your mouth, I can’t help but notice how striking you are. Holding out the little white box you ask, “Want some floss?” Just as serious as a man proposing to his future wife.
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