Designated Doodler

My tongue tickles It tingles and squirms Behind my sugar loving teeth That were bathed in coffee Just this morning I stare at the ceiling Through eyes that long for glasses There is no talking or moving So my brain runs in circles out of boredom And tries not to think about my bladder Which, like my mouth is small And always seeks attention At the wrong time I'm not nervous But my heart thinks I am Since the numbing shot Speeds it up I cross my feet And think about Not thinking about Having to pee Glimmering metal objects Disappear into my mouth And make torturous sounds Like a thousand tiny race cars At a tiny little Nascar Running lap after lap Inside my enamel Down to my Dentin Turning a solid piece of me Into a fine dust That smells Indescribable It's not my fault that I have soft teeth I think As I lie back on my soft curls And rub a circle with my thumb On the silk skin o...

The piece I have chosen to analyze is Gerrit Dou’s Dentist by Candlelight. A Dutch painter from the 1600’s, Dou began this piece that explores everyday life in 1660 and completed it in 1665. Painted with oil on oak panel (14x10 in.), the piece, which is mostly bathed in blacks and grays, has an eerie lure to it. Entrapped on the oak is a man with his mouth agape, sitting in a wooden chair, wearing a distinct look of anticipating agony. The man looks to the ceiling, where his eyes are met with an alligator hanging from the ceiling; the alligator’s mouth agape as well, with its underbelly aglow. The dentist holds a single candle to the man’s face with one hand, and with the other holds back the patient’s forehead. A concerned wife stands before the man, holding his hand, which is securely fastened to the arm of the chair. The viewer anticipates action, as the scene seems ready to unfold at any moment. The three people in this situation form a sort of circle through their lit facades and ...