with rinses, instructions and warnings -
without cavities, though my gums may be cursed
with peritonitis a-borning.
To rinse it away at least two times a day
I've been given an arcane solution
with an odd sounding name on an ominous label
containing its own separate cautions.
There's a toothbrush that hums and a flosser that comes
with its very own double-A power -
alas for the old non-electrical days
when I could brush my teeth in the shower.
No more travel for me; all my baggage would be
taken up by this paraphernalia -
no room for my trousers, though artfully rolled
and of very best hundred-thread flannel.
Though my teeth are now clean, it remains to be seen
how much time this new regime will swallow.
Studying primate teeth back in my phys-anth days
this was not the path I thought to follow.
