On the Extraction of a Wisdom Tooth

Simon Williams

The cheek of it was the crown,
fitted last year after extensive root work;
all hair-fine drills and clearing
every root.

It came off two weeks into lockdown,
four months later I’m in the chair,
different dentist, different nurse, different x-ray –
they scuttle in and out.

Signs of decay in the jaw – could be nasty.
She numbs me up and levers out the tooth,
warns me of bleeding, A&E,
a ‘dry socket’.

None of this happens, though. Stiffness
of the jaw and an unexpected sore throat
is all. Nothing a strong, salt mouthwash
can’t swill away.

My worry is the major loss of wisdom.
A week on, it has become obvious
5G conveys COVID, the world is a frisbee,
my head is full of lizard brains.

The Science

There have been several attempts to locate the site of wisdom (defined as the capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct), with the pre-frontal cortex being a main contender. But what if the colloquial attribute of wisdom being sited in the back molars, the wisdom teeth, had some foundation in fact? The poem explores this idea.

The Poet

Simon Williams has been writing since his teens when he was mentored at university (Engineering degree) by Roger McGough. His first collection was published in 1981. Since then, he has had eight further collections, his latest being The Magpie Almanack from Vole, published December 2020. Simon was elected The Bard of Exeter in 2013, founded the large-format magazine, The Broadsheet, and published the PLAY anthology, in memory of his young grandson, in 2018. About a year ago he developed a one-man poetry show, ‘Cosmic Latte’.

Next poem: Popillia japonica by Beth McDermott