The Dental Hygienist

She knows. This anthropologist on a dig,
Who digs my mouth as one would any midden.
She probes and picks and records,
Scratches and brushes,
Consults with colleagues.

She knows. Beyond knowing
What I have been eating and drinking,
And whether or not I have changed my brushes
And cleaned beneath the bridges,
She knows how I have lived my life
Since the last cleaning.
She knows if I have been too sad to floss,
Too busy or troubled to brush thoroughly.
Her chart charts my life.

This visit complements the confessional.
My mouth and teeth are like the black boxes
On European trucks.
They are the flight-data recorder on a plane.
They reveal whether the driver or pilot or person
Has conducted well.

James Bolner, Sr.
May, 2000