Fall means

Don’t kiss your babies

With those lush, dark fall plums

or moody mauves

midnight azaleas

that instantly make you

want angora sleeves

and cashmere shrugs

 

Don’t kiss your babies

when you are feeling nice and warm

in dark scarlet, plummy lips

…when dropping them off at preschool

or somewhere will the school nurse, teachers, & principal

may think

that your autumn-inspired dark lipstick

is really a sign that something needs to be

reported

 

right there

from the purple smudge

over his left eye

and there,

Cremesheen Hang-Up (that really is the color)

on the four-year old’s forehead.

It really looked like a shiner

so I’ve gotta think–

clearly, the people at MAC don’t have kids?

Or they know better tricks to making that

lipstick stick & stay on.