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David LaMotte

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September 14, 2011

“I’ve Never Liked Politics”

The words dripped from the mouth of my American friend
Between sips of her coffee and splashed onto a wrought iron café table
I stopped reading the paper and had a sip of my own water
Looking at her to see if she wanted to say more

The mouth that spoke those words is exceptionally beautiful
With a regimented company of white teeth
Hanging below a matched pair of high cheekbones
Set like handles on a porcelain vase

America meaning the U.S., the ones who are always talking about freedom
But where so little is free, certainly not orthodontics
Those teeth were not cheap, I’m quite sure
And the cost was not limited to monetary expense

But also endured impatience and aching, and quite likely humiliation
Not recently, I’d guess, but back when she was a pre-pubescent girl
Shaped more like a single stream of water from a spigot
Than the gracefully curving waterfall she is now

She bore the various pains of adjusting those teeth
With a small barbed wire fence installed in her mouth
Gradually—but not gently—pulling them into place
Those wires unrelenting in their taught insistence

That the future was worth it.
So I asked her if she liked going to the dentist
She cocked her head sideways like my uncle’s collie
And said, through her perfect teeth, “Not much.”

©2008 David LaMotte

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Filed Under: poetry, politics, Slideshow Tagged With: orthodondure, poetry, politics

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This is truly a life-changing trip. And you are tr This is truly a life-changing trip. And you are truly invited. It’s also coming up very soon – less than three months away. We have a beautiful group of folks who are going, but there’s still room. In order to help fill it at short notice, we’re offering a $200 per person discount, and a payment plan of up to twelve months to spread the cost. Learn more and please consider signing up now to join us: davidlamotte.com/2023/come-to-ireland-with-me
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Come to Ireland with me

March 20, 2023

Hey friends, I'm taking an amazing trip with good friends this summer.  You're invited. My dear friends Gareth Higgins and Brian Ammons lead retreats in Gareth's native Northern Ireland, and … Read More

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"The cover art is by artist Scott Neely, who doodled this guitar drawing while actually sitting at a concert of mine, listening to me play my instrumental song Shadows."
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