A Modern Indian Classic

Rashmirathi

One of my most favorite poems of all-time.

Gives a unique perspective of the greatest story ever told: "Mahabharata".

Vicious Circle

“One thing I like less than most things is sitting in a dentist chair with my mouth wide open.
And that I will never have to do it again is a hope that I am against hope hopen.
Because some tortures are physical and some are mental,
But the one that is both is dental.”


Ogden Nash told us long ago (when we were in 9th standard to be precise), how visit to the dentist is one of the most excruciating experiences of all. I had, but forgotten the nice poem in my text book filled with literary devices and humor till yesterday.

Like all normal homosapiens, yours truly is blessed with a set of 32. Now, the wisdom teeth, (that must be some strange irony!) have only one function in human body: Cause the occasional pain. I read that a normal adult doesn’t even require more than 28 teeth in the present age. But still there they are, vestigial and remnant of an age where we used to eat what not!

Getting an appointment for a dentist is usually a smooth affair, although, most dentists don’t work on Saturdays/Sundays, some not even on Friday.

As this is US, most of the expenses are covered by corporate Health insurance policy, which is a good thing, considering the dollars involved.

Lying in the dentist’s chair, I was able to appreciate the emotional turbulence Ogden Nash would have gone through to come up with the classic. It is more like sitting in a barber’s chair, only that barber doesn’t intend to cause you pain. Only time, one feels good is when the ordeal is over and the dentist asks one to leave.

I was lucky enough to leave with all my 32 intact. However, the dentist did tell me that there is a No. 33 which apparently was the cause of my visit to the dentist after all. Guess, Mr 33 who is as uninvited as anyone can ever be, won’t be with other 32 for long if he continues his wayward ways.

Anyways, I sat, I lay down, I suffered, got cleaned up well before I finally escaped, surviving just to “visit” another day.



Here lies the entire text of the classic poem: