For today’s prompt, take the phrase “Star (blank),” replace the blank
with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and
then, write the poem. Possible titles include: “Star-struck,” “Star
Man,” “Star Wars Prequels Aren’t Star Wars Movies,” “Starter Set,”
“Stark Raving Mad,” and so on. Remember: I’m totally fine with prompts
that get bent a bit.
Starting up again
I'm not sure why - a week after my root canal -
My tooth aches enough to keep me awake.
Shouldn't I feel nothing? Haven't the pain sensors been scraped away?
I seem, lately, to always wake at three, at four,
not wanting consciousness, even a little.
It aches there in the background and keeps me awake
a gnawing sensation that underscores loneliness and the slow measures of aging
and incremental, incremental failures.
- what was taken out isn't fully gone.
The tooth, also, hurts.
