Smile, Harry

'Fluoride'

Always one to see
the silver lining
in every cloud,
ready to sieze
the moment;
the first to
speak up about
not grumbling.

The loss of teeth
through dedicated neglect
and blitzkrieged decay,
coupled with
the solitude of faecal B.O.,
affords our protagonist
the opportunity to experiment.

Shaking fist
of arthritic wrist
clasps dentures
of dubious overbite,
guiding them
up-down-up,
sliding them
down-up-down,
tube-wise.

Gumming n gurgling
in time to
chattering rhythm,
he splashes mouthwash
for lubrication,
as he reaches the
squeeze of no return,
pressing harder
on his incisor
to cool his ardour
and delay
the ejaculation
of toothpaste.

25th April 2006, Beijing, China