from the Library of Congress
self-portrait as your toothbrush
Kimmy Chang
i grip your morning breath, tucked in my bristles–
spearmint sting, stale espresso
lingering like a wavering vow.
i brace myself–
press your restless tongue
down, grind bristles on enamel
as your peeling lips foam
with bubble-thin declarations
you reach for me
some mornings, most nights
to hush that hope
in the hollows of your hungry mouth
but tell me–
am i enough
to scour, to whiten
that cavity inside?
or do i only
scratch the surface?
Kimmy Chang
i grip your morning breath, tucked in my bristles–
spearmint sting, stale espresso
lingering like a wavering vow.
i brace myself–
press your restless tongue
down, grind bristles on enamel
as your peeling lips foam
with bubble-thin declarations
you reach for me
some mornings, most nights
to hush that hope
in the hollows of your hungry mouth
but tell me–
am i enough
to scour, to whiten
that cavity inside?
or do i only
scratch the surface?