She was all Midwestern jawbone and cuspid
had those gums that can
really be seen to hug the teeth
she smiled with delight
and the gums were right there
zealously embracing the teeth

Liquid brown eyes with a tasteful dusting of dolorous
rust and dark beige
an uncommonly beautiful sales girl
the more so for being a sales girl
in a tweed skirt and fake pearls, short heels
a haircut such as one might glimpse
in the back of a taxi
yellow or any other color
Unassuming, unprepossessing
the real thing

how I may have loved her

And when she of a moment yelped in laughter
at something I’d said
I saw her absent her disguise, in her hometown
Cincinnati, you know
Cincinnati!
yelling with furrowed brows, she was.
yelling ferociously at her boyfriend
yelling and yelling and shaking her taxi hair

or out with her girlfriends
laughing her ass off, her face and head shivering
and her big jaw opened wide
this is the sales girl in an unguarded moment

dazzling dazzling dazzling like the rest of us