I closed my eyes, invisible to the world,
I felt at peace, his darkness my escape blanket
I drifted off in to a deep slumber
Dreamt of fairies and sunshine and quiet
When the piercing ring of the alarm sounded like the death knell
They had plucked me from the warm lap of the night
And shoved me in to the scorching bosom of the brilliant day
The infant wailed, the toddler screamed
The sink beckoned me with its dirty dishes
Piles of clothes stood everywhere, like the leaning tower of Pisa
I ran out of bed, infant on my hip, toddler tailing me
I cooked, I mopped, I cleaned, I fed
It was twilight when my rumbling stomach reminded
Me of an act of self-service called eating
I checked the kitchen for food but found only ingredients
Husband sailed in from office early, my savior
I pounced upon the blueberry cheesecake and hot Chinese
I ignored the mess that was my house and my life
I had decided this was permanent
But alas! Nothing is ever so
The ten years have flown away
The house is no longer messy or reverberating with wails and screams
Everything is in its place; it is too quiet
O! That I would give an arm and a leg, to conjure it all back…