grinding

my teeth hurt 

i’ve been grinding them 

in my sleep

every time i speak
too passionately
it hurts

someone 

stop me before 

i say too much

they say 

enamel is stronger 

than bone

bone is stronger 

than steel, ounce for ounce 

all that pounding

just to make 

some thing flat 

a sword, perhaps

some tool for wounding,
or removing teeth 

all those edges

disarticulated mumbling
while i dream of wielding words
like swords

iron may sharpen iron
but all that grinding
makes my teeth hurt