Describing love

the mouth protects the secrets
shared between the tongue and teeth.
it protects them from harm but
can’t protect them from themselves.
they live together independently.
they take blames and praises.
the shame of mouth odour is
shared amongst both of them.
the teeth are hailed for dentition.
a tongue is hailed for being pink.
the lips are the distant cousins
that live with them and do the
dirty jobs and take bullets.
when the teeth are pleased
they bite the lower lip to show pleasure.
when the tongue is pleased
she licks the lips in a-180-motion.
when the lips are mad
they crack and bleed to protest.
when the teeth are mad
they bite the tongue to protest
when the tongue is mad
it doesn’t help the teeth to clean.
But every day and every time
they settle their differences silently
remain a happy family of the mouth
until death cannot do them apart.

Tomide Abdul