I never have liked dentists…

He is small in terms of stature –

significantly smaller than me.

And yet both times I’ve met him

he has towered over me.

And for one of the first times in my life

I feel like it’s because I’m a woman.

**

Specialists, I find, are inclined to self importance

and mostly I excuse them with words like

busy, academic, preoccupied, etc.

But I still resent it. You pay them, say,

$360 for 20 minutes and come out

feeling sauted and a reduction of yourself.

**

This man, the first time, grilled me

(never looking at my husband)

over diet and sugar and tooth cleaning

before looking at the other child

and saying “Oh! These teeth are quite different.”

I have stewed in that bitter brine

many times since. The assumption of guilt

and the eye-finger pointed so

squarely, so unequivocally at me.

**

Today we waited a good 40 minutes

to get in. He talked over me three times,

never let me finish a sentence.

Had us out of there in 3 minutes, flat.

And then, as we walked out the door,

apologized earnestly (mostly to his keyboard)

for the long wait. Quite sincere.

His keyboard tapped forgivingly.

I went and paid.

I was glad it didn’t take an hour.