Fit

Fit

The Story Begins with A Knock on the Chin,

As a little boy I got hit where I grin,

A busted lip, a few stitches to boot,

But not too long, I was back lookin’ cute

I had no idea, something more happened that day

A little more sinister, a price would have to be paid

But as it was, I went right along

I had all my teeth, thinking nothing was wrong

But let us fast forward, about ten years or so

I hadn’t the slightest idea, a seed had been sown

And seeds once their planted, have no choice but to grow

They’ll sprout right inside you, without being known

Without the slightest idea, I went on my way

The only reminder, the scar on my face

But then something happened, you wouldn’t expect

So unrelated, you’d never suspect

Mom was the first to take notice, as they always seem to do

She said my dear son, “your tooth is looking quite blue”

I went, checked the mirror, it was slightly dark

But still felt quite normal, you couldn’t tell it apart

I said, “Oh, its fine Mom, you can hardly tell,”

Then for years to have it fixed, she did then me compel

She encouraged, she nudged, and coaxed, to no avail

But what was there to worry? No pain. I felt swell

But then something happened, a third person told me too

He said “ya know your dark tooth is the first thing I noticed about you.”

To that I said, “It can’t be! You can hardly tell you see!”

Back to the mirror I went to check, and it was as black as black can be!

I said, no, that can’t be right! Just yesterday it was fine!

I went and got a toothbrush, with some cleaning it would shine

If only that was the case, but I’ll tell you it wasn’t true

My tooth had gone black as night, and how I had no clue

See, you know the story, but I was at a loss

It’d been over ten years, how was I to connect the dots?

Finally I knew I had a problem, Mom was right all along

I went to see the dentist, to get things back where they belong

He said “there’s something growing, son you have a cist

It’s probably been there for ten years, do you remember getting hit?”

I said “well, yeah maybe, see I have a scar

But all of that is finished, I’m healed of that I’m sure”

And then he said, “now trust me, you have a problem deep inside.

We need to get it out son, but once we do you will be fine.”

So into me they drilled see, deep down beneath my root

And removed the beast that plagued me, the beast that killed my tooth

Finally with the cist gone, we could crown the tooth that I had left

And this where I learned a truth, I never will forget

To crown the sorry dead guy, we had to shave it down

Once we had it cut to size, the new one could be mount

But see here’s the thing though, you must get it all just right

The size and space each tooth takes, is what makes up your bite

Just a little too long, or twisted in one way

Will keep your jaw from closing, from closing all the way

So this was the endeavor, to attempt to place the crown

But every time I tried to bite, I kind of had to frown

The new tooth didn’t feel right, it was the only one that hit

Not another tooth touched, only the crown and across from it

So then what came next? Surely we’d make a smaller tooth

But surprisingly it wasn’t possible, unless we risked it coming loose

The only thing to do then, was to change the tooth below

So the crown would have the space it needs, and my mouth could fully close

So the dentist then went to work, the slightest reduction would be made

It was more of a heavy polish, than even a full shave

See it just took a little bit, and then the teeth would fit

But if not done exactly right, my bite just wouldn’t sit

So while it did seem odd to me, to change a tooth once good

I trusted that the dentist knew, what was best he understood

So repeatedly he touched the tooth, to slightly get it down

And then I’d check to see the bite, if my tooth did fit the crown

If we did it even once, it seemed a hundred times

To get that tooth to fit just right, was awful hard to find

See it’s not as if each time we checked, my mouth just wouldn’t close

If you looked you couldn’t tell, it was the feeling I suppose

Each time we checked, he asked to see if it was just the fit

I’d hum and haw and ask myself, the feeling just didn’t sit

And then again the slightest grind, he’d have me check once more

And then again the slightest grind, I’d see if he’d endure

And back forth we went like this, a grind and then a check

It seemed to me forever, I began to break a sweat

You see one starts to wonder, maybe that was right

But then the slightest feeling came, “no, that wasn’t your natural bite”

And on and on he grinded, that poor opposing tooth

Do I really need to change myself, to keep the new from coming loose?

I trusted that he knew the best, but doubts did sure creep in

Maybe my bite was wrong along, something wrong within

After long enough you question, do I even know myself?

And then the slightest whisper, this is not how you once felt

And then you give the word once more, to give another grind

And this is how you get caught up, wrapped inside your mind

Add on top of all of this, the feeling of the dentist too

You know he wants to finish up, and he’s waiting here on you

He really wants to get it right, but you’re the one that knows

So back and forth you give the word, and down and down it goes

See it takes courage to know thyself, marching in the darkness evermore

If you do dig deep enough, you’ll see what’s at your core

But far too often we come up short, our confidence does shake

We settle, say our bite’s just right, but in saying we feel fake

So courage men, take up your will never to give in

Each of us must fight the fight, the battle that’s within

The journey to know thyself, is not an easy race

But if you choose to stay the course, you’re sure to find your place

So back to my dilemma, in the dentist chair

All wrapped up inside my head, would my mouth ever fit square?

Still feeling it was not quite right, I said “Okay, once more.”

It must have been the hundredth time, or thousandth, I’m not sure

And then I went to check my bite, it hit me plane as day

The feeling that I’d hoped for, came and didn’t go away

All those times of wondering, was it right? and myself wrong

I know longer had to question, the wondering was gone

It was right. I had no doubt. It finally just clicked

My mouth finally closed perfectly, the teeth they all just fit

The relief that came was so complete, I felt to sing a song

Not only did I love my bite, but I wasn’t crazy all along

So I say, son trust yourself, only you know wrong from right

Don’t get caught inside your head, how you seem in others sight

You’ll feel it son, within your chest, and then you’ll surely know

Eventually it will all come, God surely will bestow

-CDG