A Troublesome Evil

Submitted by Libby on Thu, 01/11/2018 - 07:07

What is that metal shine I see,
The glint of steel between your teeth,
That colored grin you flaunt at me—
Have you an explanation?
Are they pasted gems with sticky stuff
Attached behind and underneath,
Or jewels that intend to bluff
Me into fascination?

And what about that ugly wire
That string across from tooth to tooth?
Am I to scorn it, or admire
That tasteless work of art?
They look as if they’d just been greased,
So heathenish, and so uncouth!
To wear them at the very least,
Indeed! You are not smart!

What is that smile upon your lips
That silences my great outburst?
Is there a joke that I have missed—
I do in many cases.
Ah! Now you’ve stepped into the light
I see you’ve got the very worst,
For now I understand your plight:
You’ve got those awful braces!

Author's age when written
14
Genre
Poetry
Tags
Silly/funny
humor in dark times
braces
teeth
metal
physical pain
Notes

Yes, it's that troublesome evil that some kids actually have to deal with. I hate them. Everyone says it's for the best, but I still hate them! After getting my braces changed yesterday, and after the pain got so bad I wanted to rip my teeth out, this funny little thing popped into my head. So here it is.

Comments

Damaris Ann

Thu, 01/11/2018 - 07:14

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Gahhhhh I thought this was going to be some deep, dark unraveling of sin, and then it turned into a poem about the current bane of my existence!! I'm going in for another orthodontist appointment tomorrow and I am not I repeat I AM NOT looking forward to that hideous pain it brings to my whole face.
So I can totally relate and sympathize. I thoroughly enjoyed this. The first verse is especially well crafted. Good job! Keep it up.

I don’t thrive off of chaos: chaos thrives off of me.

James

Thu, 01/11/2018 - 20:04

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I, too, was bracing myself for some dark, foreboding theme here... but then "pasted gems with sticky stuff" alerted me you were talking about the other thing...

Isn't that awful? You both have to sit there cracking teeth at me while I get to sit here cracking puns at you. **Commence evil laughter**

Smart Alec-ness aside, Libby, this poem is fabulous. The meter is precise and consistent, and so is the rhyme scheme! I love the abacdbdc pattern, I think it's really creative and challenging to pull off, but you've done it superbly!

I also like how the thought flows from, "What in the world are you doing?" to "Yikes! Why would you choose to wear such weird things!?" to "Wait... is there something I'm missing?" to "Ah... now I understand!"

<><~~~~~~~~~~~~><>
"The idea that we should approach science without a philosophy is itself a philosophy... and a bad one, because it is self-refuting." -- Dr. Jason Lisle

Libby

Fri, 01/12/2018 - 07:40

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Thanks, you guys ;) You always make me smile with your punishments, James, (as if you haven't heard that one enough!) :)
How was your orthodontics appointment, Damaris? I was praying for you! I'm so sorry you have to go through this horrid thing, too!
Thanks for the comments, y'all!