Two of the four tenements in the book, The Four Agreements are about not taking things personally. One is so named and the other is "don't make assumptions," which is basically the same thing, this poem hopes to speak lightheartedly to the beauty and bravery in everyone, we all hold so much.

Please Pardon Our Mess

You see,
we are in the middle of
being outsized, downsized,
a downturn,
an upswing,
they too create dust.

Just climbing out of a muddle,
a puddle,
got a poodle,
housebreaking,
almost, but not quite,
done faking.

We are so often tired,
just sired,
just hired,
just fired
mired and transpiring,
inspired
and yet not yet
creating.

Put away wet,
lost a bet,
the condom broke,
the dam broke,
we are broken,
overspending,
never too late, mending.

Going through a break up
a breakdown,
a breakthrough.
Just found out he or she
or they or we cheated,
been swindled.

Skeletons rattling,
our past hurtling
can’t stop hurting
ourselves and others,
lover, mother and brother.
Skeletons out, had surgery,
committed perjury,
in purgatory.

Because of the full moon,
full swoon,
full boon
up all night,
lost the fight
gone public,
became a relic.

Need to take a crap,
on our last lap,
tired of the shit
want a hit, a toke,
took a blow,
the but and butt of a joke.
Cut off in traffic,
phone call not returned,
lover left, pouty child,
the rest wily and wild.
You just never ever know.