triangles for teeth

i have triangles for teeth

they stick out from the side

and maybe two times

out of ten

this feels like a gift

of imperfection

a gentle reminder

that no quota of selfies met

changes the fact

that i was not born to be a model for

Crest Toothpaste™ campaigns

that i was made

to use my smile for much more

than camera gazes

to use my lips for much more

than glossy pictures in magazine pages

that i was made

to use this mouth for much more

than surface value—

what i mean is

i was made to use this mouth

for the sounds that might come out of it

through the cracks between

these crooked teeth

these ivory triangles

like prisms

maybe they’re twisted just right

so that the light inside

can sneak out the sides of them

make its way into eardrums—

i have circles for eardrums

and they shake their buns

to the sound of the songs

that come out of your smile

so keep smiling

keep shining

keep reminding yourself

that no matter the shape of these

visible bones—

no matter their whitish or yellowish tone—

they are a token

when the corners of your lips

reach for the edges of your cheeks,

be at ease

you’re making it that much clearer to see:

we’re all the same underneath