Talking the election with my dentist
the pain is real
now he can’t reproduce it
cavity was the big one
they’d already filled it
he told me when
he became a citizen
took a pledge not
to be a communist
And he mentioned Khomeini
And how the promises reminded him
And how he ignores the rhetoric
All the bashing of Muslims
I talk with people
I don’t agree with
I try to understand
why do they think this
There are reasons
histories and emotions
That in the sunlight
hurt a bit less
And I was spitting out
the blood and mouthwash
I felt thankful we could
have the discussion
he suggested antibiotics
I took them and then
I voted for the communist
who was just a 70’s moderate
he wondered what happened
to all the moderates
he feared the disappointments
of the last mayor