She wakes blurry eyed
One arm over the 2-year-old
Who made his way beneath her covers
Late last night, or maybe early morning?
Sleep doesn’t come easy-
Nights are so so precious
But there’s a day ahead
And she wants to make it count
The kids also want breakfast
NOW
She throws in a load
She pours KIX and Multigrain Cheerios
She pours milk
Wipes up milk
And sips a coffee
She serves more meals
Vacuums more crumbs
Puts out coloring pencils
Begs the two-year-old
To build a tower “SO high”
As his big brother listens to his Rebbe
Between banshee screams
And gathers children in
To wash hands,
“I said for 20 seconds!”
And to eat dinner
And then to clean up
And get ready for bed.
Then, she sits in a rocking chair
And reads the same books over again
And she sings the same songs over again
She sighs, she strokes a forehead
Kisses the bulge of a cheek
And whispers “I love you” into an ear
And just like that, the day counts.