I wrote this poem a few weeks ago and just discovered it again. It made my wife uncomfortable, which is generally a sign I’m on the right track.

Tooth Baby

She’s very weird
and sometimes hairy.
A tooth baby gets
like this from time
to time, especially
if she hasn’t supped
blood from her mother,
or she hasn’t bitten
her father’s face hard.
They are always girls.

A tooth baby needs love
and hate in equal measure.
Sadly, not all are up to
the task of nurturing and
loathing them at once.
If you listen closely, you
can hear a tooth baby near
you, maybe next door, full
of darkness, crying your name.
Go to her and forget yourself.