Dry Mouth
what happens
when a dry, quiet mouth
spits sawdust into decaying air?
words struggle: tangled, ensnared in dysfunctioning larynx
scared stiff & stifling screams for salivation
parched, never quenched when thirsty smiths whet blades
to cut thin and thinner slices of storied selves lulled to sleep in hushed harmonies lost
who will rescue those lips
when they are drowning
in seas of sand that couldn’t hold on to passing time?
the arid, muted tongue
unfurled to taste rotting truth
on scattered wood shavings swirling in brackish breeze
14 thoughts on "Dry Mouth"
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Well, H.A., I needed two glasses of water after reading this!! (j/k) I like the tension set up by word choice in the dryness and the drowning (in sand) – whet (wet) – Good questions.
Awesome! Thank you so much, Sylvia. Be sure ro hydrate. 💜
Your playfulness shines through this one, such wonderful sounds and rhythms going on. Love “scared stiff & stifling screams for salivation” and “never quenched when thirsty smiths whet blades” — So nice.
Thanks, Bill! I am glad you had fun with this one. Stay cool!
Lovely choice of words and such a unique metaphor!
Thanks, Linda! I am glad you enjoyed this one. Thanks for reading.
Wowsers! This speaks volumes:
“a dry, quiet mouth
spits sawdust into decaying air”
Thanks, Pam! I appreciate that you read this with such care.
AWK! when they are drowning
in seas of sand
yes!!! My meds give me dreadful dry mouth, and I so appreciate your descriptions. I keep sugar free cough drops on hand — and I’m not coughing. LoL This is so playful yet relateable.
Thank you so much for sharing this poem!
Thanks for reading! I am sorry to hear that you experience this. Someone at work was complaining of dry mouth, so I wrote a poem to try to capture her woes.
I love the way you play with syntax, sound, and personification (“cut thin and thinner slices of storied selves”)
Thank you, Gaby! I am glad you enjoyed those elements. Thank you for reading.
I love the rich sounds of this stanza:
words struggle: tangled, ensnared in dysfunctioning larynx
scared stiff & stifling screams for salivation
parched, never quenched when thirsty smiths whet blades
to cut thin and thinner slices of storied selves lulled to sleep in hushed harmonies lost
Thanks, Shaun! I am glad you enjoyed that stanza. Thanks for reading.