Standing in the kitchen
Listening
While the house is shaking
With screams and laughter
Shrill squeals that might be happy
A hard thump and silence
Something is broken
Definitely broken
I hear their unspoken agreement
to play dumb
No one sees anything
Standing in the kitchen
Listening
Someone has jumped and landed hard
Maybe off the table or the back of the couch or one of their siblings
Waiting for the tears but hear none
Just more roaring, laughing
Teasing and name calling and shuttups
The family room is a disaster
A circus tent
A wresting ring
A zoo
Always one move away from a smashed lamp or TV or broken bone or bleeding forehead
Standing in the kitchen
Listening
To my feral children rough housing
Playing together
Just pushing and climbing and rolling and squeezing and ignoring rules
Hands off
No throwing pillows
No teasing
Use your inside voice
Rules rules rules rules rules rules rules
Another mystery crash and hushed voices
The children are in cahoots
Standing in the kitchen
Listening
To the voices raise again
to high pitch shrieks
Giggles then bodies and furniture colliding
Tiny voices and bigger ones
Ignoring the clock and the routine and the schedule
Bouncing around, silly and happy
Only a few more minutes before
I should call them for dinner
Only a few more minutes before I should break up their game
Spoil their fun
Intrude on their world
So I just stand in the kitchen
For a few more minutes
Listening
--Unintentional Breeder, 21/08/2025
Theme : Love