THE SONG OF THE HYGIENIST

mouths mouths mouths

I know all about mouths

the prissy small ones

the generous large ones

they all open for me

in dumb obedience

"Open wide" I whisper

and they open wide

and reveal all

for the mouth is the nexus

the portal of life

breath enters and leaves

food is bitten and chewed

the tongue listens to flavors

kisses are love in transit

the mouth is all hunger

and I see it all

Now to absolve the oral sins

the brushings forgotten

the flossings ignored

It's payback time with pain

my steel tools glisten

I scrape I scour I polish

until the dazzling white

of hygienic forgiveness

radiates from shiny teeth

and I utter the final blessing:

"Rinse please and floss evermore!"