I Don’t Mean to Be Crass

I don’t mean to be crass
It’s just that
I’ve been alone all day and
I’ve got all these words
Clattering around inside me: mean,
Rusted out shards of
Everyday life tossed in a big ole
Heap, and so
By the time
We meet up at the playground and
Get the kids well-scattered on the
Spider climbers, then shrug off our
Weekend updates, I don’t
Intend to seem as if I
Am half-dozing-then-
Half-screeching through our
Chat.

You know…
I’ve dreamt of myself as a
Kitten-pawed belle, scraped and
Sanded free of my trigger-happy
Mouth. I’ve tried it on and
I’ve opted-instead, for
A life of apologies,
I guess, because it feels
Weird,
To me,
Being so sweet when life puffs out
These breaths of now and then which just
Stink like maggoty meat.