POEM - The Dust Settles

Lazy summer days have been surrendered

In a furious fortnight of upheaval

As we the procrastinators

Scrambled for the supplies

Assembled necessary raiment

Cobbled together some new kicks  

And scrounged for essential accoutrements

Causing hair to frazzle

Tempers to elevate

Attitudes to decline

And melancholy to ensue

It will be lonely soon

In this house we call home

You get used to the company

All the noise and the action

This year we have added excitement

The eldest is altogether leaving home

Which means extra stuff and hassle

All superfluous activities forgotten

In the rush to get additional things in order

All that she will need when she is transient

Floating in the world out there

Discovering what it means to be herself

Instead of the offspring appendage

To the family body proper

But it is quieting down now

As the oldest has flown away

And the remaining siblings depart

Each morning in various vehicles

To pursue their educations

And you think that some silence is nice

But you start to miss the helpless whelps

Who need you to fix them lunch

Or they will just starve

And might have to interrupt their schedule

Of intensive television watching

Because they need you

Even if they don’t need need you

They come around and talk

Fill the empty void with voices

Disturb the air and swirls the dust

That settles and silently waits

To play and dance

When the children come home again