Talking the election with my dentist

 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