On the Floor

On the floor And in my way Countless artifacts of children’s play Clothes of every size and color Wrap themselves around one another Popcorn pieces from movie night And dry cereal at morning’s light Bouncy balls and plastic jacks Barbie dresses and other knick knacks Laundry baskets in every room I’m hoping to empty some of them soon The kitten naps in warm sun rays While I collect sippy cups from yesterday On the floor I sit by myself And put all of the toys back on the shelf It’s late at night and children sleep While I sneak around quietly, like a thief Trying to clean up bedroom floors So no one will trip at half past four On their way to wake me up To tell me they need water in their cup I press on...diligent duty For soon there will be no more clutter And I will sit and softly mutter To myself and wish for more Days with children… On the floor