Just
give me a minute, please
before I walk in
to my house, I need
just a minute outside our
door, to breathe in the last whiff of fresh
air I'm going to get
in a while,
Just
give me a minute, please, I
can't think, my thoughts are
screaming their way around
my skull and my
music is trying
to drown them out and I
just want some quiet but that's
not something found inside
Just
give me a minute, please,
before I turn my key in the lock to try
and rearrange my face, try and turn
my mouth in a smile dragging
my lips apart and baring my
teeth a fraction harder than
actually necessary to grin try
and take a minute I need
to make it look like
I'm not trying so hard
not to cry.