Meltdown

Insidious how the stress creeps up.
Bubbling and gurgling just below the surface.
A look, an ill timed word, a mistake,
Will bring the emotions bubbling to your eyes.
You can't always put your finger on the cause.
There are always the warning signs,
The rumbling.
You are impatient and snappy.
Small things irritate you.

Sometimes you can empty out a little of the stress,
By doing something you love.
Sometimes you can't.
And despite all your attempts to calm down,
Find your sanctuary.
Make sense of all the emotions.
One small thing will overfill that bucket
And you blow.

And sometimes there are casualties.
Those inadvertently caught in the crossfire.
And when everything calms down,
You are left to deal with aftermath,
The shame,
And the knowledge that it will inevitably happen again.