Mary Christine Delea's poems have been published in numerous places. Awards won for poetry include the 2001 Editor's Poetry Prize from the Spoon River Poetry Review, First Prize in the 2001 White Mice contest sponsored by Deus Loci, two Pushcart Prize nominations, and an Academy of American Poets University Award.

Look in My Mouth

I’m simplistic—one afternoon of casual dentistry
will prove it. Flutter of lips, inaudible gums,
bad teeth, and beyond. The usual
is all there, an incredulous mix, forgetful
of buzzard lust, the hazards of flossing,
and the craving for raw haddock. Here in the present,
pharmacology is guaranteed to bless all
oafish aches. In the future, I will have no need of sleep.
Look inside—so much of me is already plastic
and metallurgy-adjacent. Even deep down,
I am turning inorganic, proof that nothing is lethal anymore:
cottonmouth’s venom, jackass’s kick,
the inferno of out-of-control campfires.
I deferred to the clinic—my susceptibility is dicey.
Look—I am so modern
I am raising my flag.