melissaahowells - If It Does Them Any Good At All 11/16/2021 date/time stamped

the tooth pulled
swiftly and the pain
rising slowly afterwards
a tide threatening to overrun
and overwhelm

yet
on the way home
in the freezing chill
of near winter
people draped in ragged blankets
ill-fitting shoes
layers of rags
huddled in doorways
with cardboard for sheets
invisible in plain sight
noticed only as blight

how can we do that
think that
be that way

I don't think they planned it
I don't think it needs to be this way
pathetically struggling
I'm poor
but there are so many good things
I've got

four walls
a bed
a shower
a kitchen
a computer to write about all of this
and a rotting tooth pulled
because here in America
dental coverage is a luxury
which because I'm poorer than some
I put on a card

you see so many people
without teeth here
I dream of losing them
I lean over myself
and they all fall out
slowly
spoiled milk from a pitcher
into my shaking hand

a book
of interpretations informs me
this dream means I'm afraid
of things getting out of hand
and of losing control
but as I go everywhere anywhere
I see this has already happened

what is wrong with humans
and man-kind then
when they see
but don't do anything
to alleviate suffering
but return to playing games
on their cell phones

I don't have one
(a phone)
I'm behind the times
old-fashioned
my pocket change
is for the poorer ones

if it does
them
any
good
at all.

LEGAL COPYRIGHT FOR THIS POET/AUTHOR MELISSA A. HOWELLS
DATE TIME STAMPED 11/16/2021 1:31PM PACIFIC STANDARD TIME
AND ALSO FOR THIS LEGALLY COPYRIGHTED AND REGISTERED SITE TITLE
MELOO STRAIGHT FROM HER TILT-A-WORLD

HAVE YOU WONDERED WHAT THE ORIGINS OF MY SITE NAME ARE?
BEFORE I HAD THIS SITE WHERE I WAS PUTTING DOWN MY POETRY I
HAD THOUGHT OF IT. MANY YEARS AGO AS A CHILD I WAS AT THE
FAIR TAKING MY CHANCES RIDING RIDES. I DIDN'T HAVE AN EASY
LIFE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER...BUT HAD THE CAPACITY FOR GREAT JOY
DOING SIMPLE THINGS. I RELISHED THE SIMPLE THINGS...LIKE
THE FAIR. AFTER GETTING OFF THE TILT-A-WHIRL I WAS DIZZY
EXTREMELY DIZZY AND I RAN LITERALLY INTO A METAL POLE..FUNNY
THING IS THAT I DID A SIMILAR THING LATER ON IN LIFE
AFTER GETTING OFF THE FERRIS WHEEL. but WHEN I WAS YOUNG
THE END RESULT WAS A MILD CONCUSSION AND A QUICK TRIP TO THE ER.
WHEN I WAS THERE...I HAD TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED...AND
THE TILT-A-WHIRL BECAME THE TILT-A-WORLD BECAUSE i HAD TO
KEEP ON REPEATING MYSELF SO MANY TIMES. AND THEN I THOUGHT
THAT IS KIND OF WHAT MY REAL LIFE IS LIKE...IT TILTS...SO MUCH
HAPPENS THAT I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER...AND SO ITS STAYED WITH ME,
THAT DEFINITION AND IDEA, EVER SINCE...