Life’s Balancing Act

The sun rises and sets unwavering

The man rises first in the house

and immediately heads for the coffee

to begin battling his exhaustion

No matter how much he drinks 

he can't drown the knowledge that his life 

is far away from what he had hoped

His wishes and dreams have

fallen away like the remnants of coffee 

as it washes down the drain. 

The woman rises second in the house

She turns on the news and listens 

to one tragic story after the other

She sighs as she knows this 

is the crazy world her child will inherit

A world so full of hatred and strife

She thinks that maybe it could have 

been different had she tried a little harder

But she knows that this world was inevitable

The child rises last in the house

Beaming with innocence and glee

Unaware of the pain that she is surrounded by

She skips into the kitchen and hugs the woman

A hug so full of warmth and love unconditional 

The child walks into the other room and plays 

with toys bought by the labor of the man

Unaware of the important role she will play 

when her days of innocence are over

The family sits down for a meal

Despite the toils of the day and

the hardships each encountered

they all share the same smile

A smile of strength beyond measure

A smile of hope for the future

And I continue to listen

For when this family moves on 

I will be there to watch over the next

The sun rises and sets unwavering