There is vivid imagery in "One of These Days" in the description of Aurelio Escovar, in the description of the setting, and in the description of the painful tooth extraction.

Aurelio is a tidy, albeit simple, dentist. His shirt is "collarless" yet is held together at the neck with a "golden button," indicating a sense of pride and a touch of class. His pants are held in place by "elastic suspenders," which are necessary since he is such a "skinny" man. He is precise in the arrangements of his instruments, making sure that they are in order from "biggest to smallest" when he opens his office early in the morning.

As he prepares for the day, there is an ominous undertone in the imagery. Looking out the window, Aurelio spots "two pensive buzzards," birds typically associated with death and destruction. The "shrill" voice of his son interrupts his thoughts; this auditory imagery creates a sense of urgency.

When the mayor enters the room, his physical appearance reflects the agony he has endured because of the abscessed tooth. His face is swollen so badly on one side that he seemingly hasn't been able to shave for five days. His eyes are "desperate" and "languished" as he meets the eyes of Aurelio.

When Aurelio grabs his tooth with the "hot" forceps, the mayor feels the bones in his jaw "crunch." The pain is so severe that his eyes involuntarily water, and when the tooth is finally extracted, he is left "sweating" and "panting" over the spittoon.

The grim imagery in this short story correlates to themes of power and corruption that are evident through the conflict between Aurelio and the mayor.