DENTIPEDALISM

Be kind to your feet and your teeth.
They look to you for succor.
They have no one else to turn to.

Once, they had your mother, perhaps.
But now she is gone, perhaps.
Now, you must take care of them.
You are their step-mother.

Your toes are far away
And all alone.
They have no one to turn to
But you alone.

Think of them, so weak —
Helpless — as if exiled.
Will you ignore them?
Being so far away and so small, are they not, a fortiori,
     gently to be cared for?

(They have nails that must be cut.)
(They must fight against fungi.)
(They cannot clean themselves.)
(They do what they can.)

Consider, as well, your teeth.
Living always hidden —
In heat, dampness —
Attacked continuously by germs.

Think of them in their loneliness,
Their utter helplessness.
How they must despair of your neglect —
Considering how close you are.

Only a few inches away
— And yet it might as well be light-years.
They like to be brushed several times a day.
(Unlike toes, they cannot even move.)

Toes must get free of shoes sometimes,
Free of socks, an hour at least.
They want to feel the ground, the air —
The rug, the hard wooden floor.

Teeth need fresh water, air —
They like to be flossed —
The light soft cotton floss
Sliding over their surfaces.

They cannot do it alone.
Your tongue cannot do it alone.
Fingers they need, mind,
Consideration, care.

Some day, they may have to be sacrificed.
Well and good, if such should be necessary.
In the meantime, be good to your feet, to your teeth.
You are their father and their mother.

                             — Theodore Schroetter