i remember
the weeks i couldn’t stop
biting my lip,
in fear of shame,
or something worse:
dreams of baby teeth
and secrets;
waking myself up
in the middle of the night
to flip my pillow,
to see if you
had hidden anything there.
editors note:
editor’s note: Only a bill from the Tooth Fairy, with the standard disclaimer against toothless debtors. – mh