it hurts

sometimes it hurts, the side of the mandible down through the inside of the gomphoses, the pain penetrates the thick roof of my palatine bone to envelop every crevice of my skull
my brain is watching intently, anticipating the burn like a young child hovering her hands too close to a fervid campfire
it burns, it bristles it scorches
i run the tips of my fingers carefully along the smooth surface of my jaw
knowing it won't move for pleasure
only pain