Poet Meghan Perkins is a poet who kisses and tells.  And she tells it in this provocative poem Wash Your Mouth. 

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Wash Your Mouth

Kiss is a dirty word.

Just saying it is like swallowing mud,

Thick and wrong down my throat.

It’s like saying f**k or penis.

Ever play the penis game?

Say it louder and louder

Until someone is too scared

Of judgingly pointed chins

And hauntingly raised eyebrows,

So you falter and spit it out,

Along with clay and pebbles,

Just one whisper softer –

Accepting the challenge,

But still losing the game.

That’s me and kissing.

It leaves stains on my teeth

And I’m afraid to smile.

Each kiss is sand stuck in my gums

And I need to floss.

I’d rather suck on soap

Than have that word pass my lips.

Kiss. Kissing. Kisses.

I feel like I’m swearing.

Don’t look at me when I say it

Because I feel as though

I’m only in my underwear,

Lacey and ripped,

Asking Him what it all means.

Only muffled silence answers.

I think His mouth is full, too.

But I think kiss means raw,

Naked embarrassment –

It only leaves me with gritty regret,

And in want of a bath.

He makes me feel soiled.

– Meghan Perkins

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