Whiskey and tooth pain

by Melanie Browne

The crown on my upper
Right molar is throbbing
And so I take
A few extra strength
Tylenol,
Some advil,

Then, finally,
a swig of whiskey
and swish it around
Because they used
To do that in the movies
When they had a toothache

Then again, they used
To pray for death
Because dental care
Was a little
More barbaric than
Today, but only
slightly

“whew” I say
but that doesn’t seem
quite right
“ah” I say
But the pain is still there.

"Well, hell"

That seems better
And I take another swig