Early afternoon on Easter Sunday
A parent drops their kids off at the house across the street
I’m just guessing their ages range from eleven to nine to five
And from the looks of it, it’s two girls and a boy
They come out of the car looking like soldiers
Is it time to come home or go away again?
I’m just guessing that the oldest is probably a girl
And she looks disinterested at best
Like she’s been here and done that
And it’s just another weekend where nothing special happened
And there’s nothing worth remembering
Just time to get inside and pass me the remote.
I’m just guessing that the middle child appears to be a boy
And he seems caught in the middle of it all
Between running back to the car or into the house
Or deciding who to hug first
And that trying to please two people at the same time
Is trying to please one too many.
I’m just guessing that the smallest of the three is a little girl
And she has a pink backpack that looks like it weighs twice as much as she does
It’s crammed with God knows what to make her stay seem more like home
She balances herself on a narrow ledge with her arms spread wide
Putting one foot in front of the other and trying to make a game of it all
And hoping somebody notices.