Coffee slugged late at night ice cold, instant type, now almost undissolved but we really don’t have enough time to care about the taste and only want something wet with caffeine since we avoid tumbling our bedsheets with the weight of today Since you know me and I know you are both stuck with brains that don’t go off and actually can’t since we are the engineer and the oilwoman, the coal kid and conductor for this maddening set of gears called single motherhood We stand with one arm folded the other out like a crossing guard in a bad mood on a wet day our eyes grow grey as bullet steel with rage as we are twice reprimanded for not fitting on doe eyes to snare some Mr Kent to descend and protect our curls from wear We haul our own garbage into the sani truck, haggle prices, cook dinner, wipe little tears then scare the washer into starting again because it is in its best interest not to seize again until at least next Wednesday then tell polite lies on behalf of empty flower boxes giving dirt to nosy neighbors There in the latest part of night while the ringed white cups watch our finished conversations we are proud of our hands defining us into worn and common girls with rough graces pulling ]]>