I tug you taut
slide you slick
you squeak
up and down
between my incisors
and their neighbours
tight fit
forever loosened
by pre-Invisalign
shaving-down
you choke my fingers
your small green plastic case
is too tiny for AirPods
I swing your lid
open
unfurl you
unwind you
unspool you
and at arm’s length
I slice you off
and snap
your lid
shut
minty-fresh bondage
tasty treat for my tongue
you’re my last step before bed
in theory
rarely make it these days
too busy falling asleep
by wine glass
half-full on nightstand
my teeth unbrushed
my gaps unflossed
Catherine Lewis is a Chinese-Canadian writer based in Vancouver. Her chapbook Zipless (845 Press) is a Bisexual Book Awards finalist. Longlisted for the 2023 CBC Poetry Prize, she has been published in The Fiddlehead, PRISM international, Pulp Literature, and The Humber Literary Review. Catch her on Instagram/X at @cat_writes_604 or at www.catherinewriter.com.
