The extraction process is brutal. It takes 
hours just to get one out.
First, it must be loosened,
prodded with metal forceps, 
sometimes even begged to reveal itself, 
holding onto the promise
of an ice cream sundae afterwards.
There is no anesthetic for this procedure,
and so it is fully felt 
in all of its excruciating actuality.
The incision reaches under the gum
and leaves an almost imperceptible slit. 
But the tiny cuts bleeds, flowing down 
into a puddle that is more captivating 
with each drop.
It is out from under the surface.
It waits to be snatched from the root,
released from the socket, and seated
in the middle of a tongue: