Poem: The Dentist Chair

Years ago, I was a single mom working a high-stress job, and I was barely functioning. I had so little time, so little energy, and I could barely afford to support my little family. I carried so much anger and tension inside me, but I couldn’t break because there was no one to pick up the pieces.

But you can only hold it all together for so long before something gives. And for me, it happened at a dentist visit.

This poem, which is included in the Redwood Writers 2024 Poetry Anthology, One Day, tells about that day.

The Dentist Chair

My purse sat on the stool in the corner,
my phone out of reach,
so I had nothing to numb me
except the Novocain
which did nothing to stop the tears
because when the hygienist checked my teeth
it felt like the missing piece
the part where someone said

relax
I got you
let me take care of you.

And so I squeezed my hands in my lap
like I’d been squeezing my whole world
just to keep it together.
Who will work the long hours if I don’t?
Who will take the kids to practice
or help them with homework?
Who will track down their absent father
or find my deserted friends?

Who will explain why I’m crying
in the dentist chair
to this poor bewildered woman
who just wants to clean my teeth?