Getting Sweaty

Straight-laced
c. Linda Mercury

Soon, we’ll dress,
order
our outer selves again. We’ll
wipe off the sweat and come and
button and
zip and
knot. We will
search for
food and drink and outside
companionship.

We will look
tidy and neat and polite and civilized.
We will
smile and
act nice.

We endure those lies for our insides are
hot, wild, crazed,
feral-
just a little

disorderly.

We know who we are.
We can survive
just a little

civilization.