Is It Bad If My Gums Bleed When I Floss?

By Blue Sunshine

"I used to have twenty-one teeth.

The tooth fairy gave me ten dollars for the pain-

of parting, of stitching me up,

I still don't know."

This light horror, dentistry-themed poetry collection follows the story of Netty from childhood to adulthood as she struggles to accept her queer identity, running from her decaying relationship with her parents and herself. Periodontal pockets deepening by the day, Netty grows up accommodating for the pain. Written by Blue Sunshine, Is It Bad If My Gums Bleed When I Floss? is the collection for those who have questioned their queer identity, endured traumatic abuse, and are trying to find healing on the other side. Every cavity can be filled, every missing tooth can be restored, every infection can be flushed away.

" This collection is artfully written...It felt like I was the tooth fairy myself. Continuing to show up at night and collect treasures left by the narrator. There is something very eerie and relatable about the narrator who once filled her mouth with toys and candy, progressing into adulthood and then filling that same mouth with grout and pebbles and spite." - Aimee Nicole, author of Panoramic, Daily Worship, and Ghost Dance