R32 is hurting again.
Without looking at me,
a dentist I didn’t know
told me R32 moved onto a nerve
& I’ll hurt to the touch for a few days.

I couldn’t stop rubbing
the side of my jaw
& I asked my mother
if this is how it felt
when her lover broke hers.

I asked to paint her X-rays
to see if I could mend
her jaw with my strokes
& colors. I promised her
I wouldn’t paint her teeth
in black & white.

But my mother told me to balance
gravity in the back of my mouth,
the pressure will make R32 fall
into my throat, leaving
my nerve alone,
but I was too afraid  
to swallow
my teeth.

– Annie Cigic

Author’s Note: My poetry often focuses on themes of motherhood, the body, unconventional relationships, and adoption. “A Panorama of My Mother’s Mouth” was simply inspired by the movement of my wisdom teeth and how it was impacting my jaw and face. The poem is a longing for connection, but falls short of what the speaker wants.