Chapter II: Pushing and Pulling
The Dentist
Madison Grounds
we are always late
Mom sometimes loses her keys or glasses
or someone hasn’t brushed their teeth
or someone’s clothes are in the dryer
or we can’t find our shoes
we hop out at the entrance
opening the heavy door
to the fluoride and grindy metal smell
and tell the ladies waiting at the desk
that our mom is still parking
even though they already know—
it happens each year
one of the ladies
comes out of the hall
and calls one of our names
and we have to follow her
and sit on the sticky leather chair
with the TV above
and be asked if we brush and floss
and which grade we’re in
and have to remember
which flavours of fluoride
aren’t grossest
when the dentist comes in
I see his eyes above me
and I can’t respond to his questions
as he places sharp metal in my mouth
to make sure it’s healthy
his face is covered in blue
and friendly wrinkles
and he pulls down his mask
and calls Mom “mom”
even though she’s younger than him
it’s the dentist
but at least it’s just the dentist
