Home from school
Everyone’s tired
And talking at the same time
Each with their own, important unmet need
Shoes strewn in the doorway
Coats and ties decorate the floor
Three and a half school letters excavated from the bottom of bags
The race to hydrate and supply sufficient snacks before meltdowns begins
PE trainers rescued for mud management
Hot dogs for dinner, again
Food prepped, food presented, food scraped into the bin
Tears when the unsurprising yet shocking news of bedtime is delivered
Excuses executed at five minute intervals for not being able to sleep…
Water in the bottle isn’t cold enough
Pillow too bumpy
It’s too light* (*substitute for dark for other sibling)
Dirty plates loaded
Clean plates unloaded
Reassurance given that the monster is a desk chair
Damp washing from yesterday still sitting in the machine, re-washed
Like the repetitive cycle of the mundane monotony of tasks that feel so insignificant yet all-consuming
But they are the rhythms of growth,
The cyclical spinning drill that drives down deep below the ground
Laying the foundations of security, of predictability and safety
Of childhood.
© Ange Disbury
Photo credit: Lukas Rodriguez