Time After Joy
The joyful chaos has been packed into the car.
The last child’s whale of protest quieted by the
closing door.
The sun in full bloom reveals uncluttered floors.
Cats crawl out of closets to the organized sounds of
a new day’s beginning.
I hear the steady drone of plane’s engines,
Tires on wet pavement.
Small treasures appear in drawers and underfoot.
The minute and hour hands advance my memory forward
as the day planned ahead.
This is normalcy.
Life.
Loved ones returning to their routines to earn their leisure.
My ears buzz with white noise.
Is it the sound of solitude or loneliness?
