Spaces Between Words

Every smile feels like an unspoken plea,

a jest, a careless jab at my jagged tooth,

the way the mirror distorts what I should see.

A friend’s chuckle dances, playful yet cruel,

slicing through laughter like a dull knife—

‘You’ve got a gap; do you even floss?’

And I pause, stuck on that half-open grin,

a reflection with shadows that echo my youth,

reminders tucked inside each space,

where confidence once lived, now hides away.