The tooth was not chipped but the old
Japanese dentist knew more than most about
the rough edges between incisors and molars
and the shadows of their highs and lows
“Yah, you know, the tongue is
such a curious thing,” he frowns,
drilling the tooth in question smooth
so it won’t continue to preoccupy
my slithering wayward organ
“It wants to find out about everything
within its reach,” he kindly grins
Which explained to me the craving of lovers
for their tongues to explore and their bodies
to become entangled as do the limbs
of flowering trees