Painkillers

i had my wisdom teeth pulled
i was awake, wary
of the sharp pain of the needle
wiggling in my jaw

my brother shows me
a picture of the president
i try to focus on
the things i can control

my mother plays the news
we were all shocked
we remain shocked

(the dentist didn’t give me my teeth.
didn’t even ask if i wanted them
i’ll ask for the one still in my mouth)

i trust history to get some things right,
sometimes

i trust God

in four years i hope we’ll be
wiser and older,
awake, watching,
waiting for the next one.

By Adrian Kresnak

Biography:

Adrian plays piano and Pokemon Moon.