Hungry

My gums have been bleeding less 

And less, lately

How bittersweet it is to spit and not 

Be greeted with your shortcomings

I've been flossing, too

Fixating on the spaces between my teeth

And removing the skin from them

Any dentist would be proud of me

No sugar means no cavities, right?

I'm not dirty, just

Plaqued up with words that have left my throat

But could never escape from between my lips

Collecting germs is like collecting memories, now

Swished away in moments like only Listerine and a lobotomy could erase

The more I swish, the less I bleed

And now my stomach has become

The abandoned headquarters for my grief

If I leave it empty

Will I just stop feeling it? 

If the scale is there, looking at me like 

I am the skin in between its teeth

I will brush, I will floss, I will scrub

Until it spits and there is no more blood

I think I've traded in gums for ribs

But when I woke up this morning 

I wanted to weigh myself first

And I brushed my teeth instead