dream jobs

I had a dream

I was a dental hygienist.

it was probably because I went to the dentist
this past Monday

The experience at the dentist's was fine. "No
Cavities, Ma!" But

this dream was horrific, and maybe you
should skip it.
I was a dental hygienist
as I said, but as the dream progressed,

something weird

was happening with my tools, or
with my patient's teeth. The first couple
patients of the day

were routine. Then

I got to my third patient, and
my scrape-hook was finding all these
tiny holes.

The patient was in tears

- she'd never had a cavity
before! My next patient

was even worse.
It was like his left upper molars
were literally crumbling under my tooth
polisher! Another patient's incisors came loose
as I flossed them. It was awful,

it kept getting worse

and worse, and I was just like
(to the dentists), please,
send me home
I am having a bad day!

But the dentists were like:

"We're too busy. Hang in there."

Meanwhile the patients were wailing
from what I was doing to them. And in
the waiting room,
on the way out as I conducted them
to the receptionist, to schedule the elaborate followups

that would now be necessary,
and tried to comfort them,
they recoiled
from me.

It was clear
they blamed me. But how
could it be happening? What
was different from every other day? Why me

and not the other hygienists?

Why would they not just send me home!

I was having a bad day

I can still see the trembling chins, the tearful
red-rimmed eyes
glaring with fear
and accusation, hollow cheeks
and collapsed lips shamefully hiding
the remains of ruined smiles.

The look that says: "You did this."