I’ve always thought that drilling on people’s teeth

is the worst profession in the world

What people do, must make them numb

it makes me numb, just watching them

I don’t have the same fear of the dentist as I used to

I love pain, but to admit that

would put them ill at ease

much of what I think, puts people ill at ease

so I stay silent

with only writing, as a confession

I’m waiting in an isolated room

“just a few more minutes…” the secretary says

I don’t care, I’m numb

finally, the door opens

“Sorry for the wait.”

“Oh no, don’t worry about it…” I say

the usual pleasantries are exchanged

and I sit in the chair

while they ask me questions

“Does that hurt? Just a little pinch.”

I close my eyes and think about what a .45 would do to my brains

for some reason, I’m always suicidal at the dentist

“What are you going to do after this?” The hygienist asks.

“I’ll probably watch a dvd; I have hundreds at home, although I recently looked at them

and I didn’t want to watch any of them.”

“I have about 50—I like psychological thrillers; I’ll just be alone in my place with my pets this evening. Do you have pets?”

“No.”

“Do you live alone?”

“Yes.”

The hygienist injects me and my heart starts pumping

she puts her fingers into my mouth and I can smell her perfume

“Is there adrenaline in that stuff?”

“Yes; are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“I get lonely,” she says. Her eyes look into mine. The Novocain is numbing my brain and all my reactions are twice as slow.

“I know you can’t talk, but I hate those graphic horror movies. Do you?”

“Ahhh,” I say

“Me neither.”

We finish up and the doctor tells me I’m eating wrong. “You’re killing yourself.”

Little does he know; I’ve thought about doing it dozens of times in his office.