Poetry Dispatch No. 18 | October 23, 2005
Taking Care of Business by David Pichaske
“Keep an open mind, and
somebody will fill it full of crap.”
—John Charles Creed
“Take care of your teeth,” says dad
on his way to the dentist with a sore molar.
My tongue runs a quick check on
the five gold crowns that I got
for not brushing when I wore braces.
Father lost most of his front teeth
playing hockey as a teenager.
“Take care of your teeth,”
I tell Matthew, who at age five
fancies himself an NHL all-star.
Megan wonders what her loose tooth
will bring from the Tooth Fairy.
“I got a dollar for the last one!”
“Take care of your teeth, I tell Megan;
“You may need them someday
to bite down hard on something evil.
Take care of your eyes,
so you can watch out for the bullshit.
Take care of your nose,
’cause you can’t always see bullshit coming.
Take care of your ears,
so you can hear what they’re saying about you.
Take care of your voice,
so you can tell them where to go,
and how to get there,
and what to do when they arrive.
Take care of your legs,
so you can get the hell out of there.
Take care of your mind,
so nobody fills it full of crap.”
from THE FATHER POEMS | Cross+Roads Press
poetry dispatch & other notes from the underground 
Interesting work. I especially like the last poem. Thanks. i I had any money I would buy the book. Are you into trading?