SUNDAY POETRY: "ABOUT THE TEETH OF SHARKS"

(Photo by

TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋), courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

ABOUT THE TEETH OF SHARKS

By John Ciardi

The thing about a shark is—teeth,

One row above, one row beneath.

Now take a close look. Do you find

It has another row behind?

Still closer—here, I’ll hold your hat:

Has it a third row behind that?

Now look in and...Look out! Oh my,

I’ll never know now! Well, goodbye.