The burning

The peeling

The sores

The toothaches

The cuts

The bleeding

Sounds like my soul.

 

Loving someone for so long is

taking a big bite of hot food.

You burn yourself

because you were anxious to bite down

on a greasy pizza.

The sauce sizzled the roof of your mouth

and now you can barely eat anything.

 

But this time, you know better.

You now cool down your plate,

even your ice cream.

 

Loving someone for so long is

the constant peeling of skin.

Inside your mouth are layers and layers of coating

that when you're hit by something or someone,

the wound is surrounded by shriveled white cells.

 

But this time, you know better.

You now wear a mouth guard everywhere you go.

 

Loving someone for so long is

a red canker sore

with a white dot waving at your partner every time you open your mouth.

Either that or they have a disease of shared saliva

with other human beings.

But that's for you to find out once their tongue shifts up and down, back and forth in your open pothole.

 

But this time, you know better.

You now take precaution into who can tickle your tongue and explore inside your mouth.

 

Loving someone for so long is

having a toothache.

Eating or drinking too much sweets

that your gums become a darker pink

and the flatness of your molars become black caves for drills.

 

But this time, you know better.

You now carry a small toothbrush and toothpaste

and brush after every treat.

 

Loving someone for so long is

tasting thick metal from a missing tooth.

The continous spitting and swallowing to rinse the deepest hole in one's mouth.

 

But this time, you know better.

You now dodge fiery fists and short temper people.

 

But this time, loving no one for so long,

you don't care if you have any teeth

because dentures are there to save you from

the burning

the peeling

the bleeding

and the sores.

 

You now live your

love life

so free and

so gummy.