the last time i watched u brush ur teeth
u foamed at the mouth like an
old dog with rabies.
u forgot ur toothbrush
[in ur flurried angst] //
never called back for the sake of clean teeth or even
ur dentist.
i trembled every morning
at the prospect of accidentally reaching for ur toothbrush
instead of mine //
using it would be like
kissing u & i'm terrified
of germs.
what brand of floss do u buy? how long does ur dentist
spend picking ur tartar?
i can't even recall if [as a child] u ever had braces //
my memories of u crumbling into decay:
u r a
cavity //
that i will never fill.
i put ur toothbrush in a plastic bag,
double knotted the handles //
threw the entire ordeal into
the trash
along with the stray flecks of u still
lingering in my
mind.
i bought
the most expensive toothbrush
target had to offer.
it was $80 //
it was not equipped w/ batteries &
now when i
clean my teeth i
think of all the plastic bags of
groceries
$80 could have gotten me but i never
think of u.