Clean up.

Oct. 28, 2022

The water should be warm but not too hot,

boiling will dry out your hair.

Massage rosemary scented shampoo into

a lather between your fingers, then caress it in your strands.

Use your nails to claw out the grit from your scalp,

scratch yourself free.

Apply conditioner to your ends only,

lest you make your roots oily.

Then place your hands firmly on your temples,

and pop the top of your skull off, and set aside.

Gently remove your brain,

taking care not to separate it from your spinal cord.

Set it in the bath you prepared for it,

a mix of saline water and sanity; leave it to soak.

With a heavy duty scrub brush, scour your skull cavity.

It must be blackened with all your bad thoughts lately.

A damp cloth can help unstick depression,

and a quick swipe can loosen soot, tar, and spiderwebs

Make sure to re-moisten the area with a few drops of purity,

scented white lily and pink pepper.

Onto the brain, drain the water it's been stewing in,

already brackish and brown.

With fresh water massage between the many folds,

cleaning obsession out like the sand between an oyster.

Some thoughts may clog your pipes so

be sure to clean your drain thoroughly.

Using a mixture of forgiveness and bleach,

begin to strip the brain, turning gray matter back to blush pink.

Flip it over and check the back for those pesky self-destructions

that cling on like barnacles.

Once clean, powder with confidence, spritz with love, and

slide your brain back gently into its home.

You can then reattach your skull,

and rinse out your conditioner.