Wednesday, January 31, 2001

Tetris

5.30 a.m., when the alarm bibbibbibbips
and you stumble out of bed
with only three or four hours of rest inside you
for the business dinner that went on late,
… good food, good deals
so you’re not complaining,
not complaining, just exhausted … 
and spend the next few hours 
cooking breakfast
seeing your lovely kids
off to school,
packing dabbas
(each especially catered to a different taste
because you do enjoy indulging them)
and then,
rush to get ready for the office
and you’re still not complaining
because you only have to walk to office,
not take the commuter train,
and in any case, once there, they all call you Madam,
and do your bidding entirely 
– no,  not complaining, just exhausted – 
and finally get home, along with the lovely kids
all jabbering fast
so much to tell! so much to share! so many complaints!
so many jokes!
but there’s still laundry to be done
and dinner to be cooked
so, of course, you do it,
and in between when you need a rest
you sneak into the loo
not to smoke a cigarette
which is what you actually want
but it’s too smelly and besides 
if you won’t look after your lungs, who will?
so the cigarette must wait
but you can reach for your little
hand-held video game
and waste a little time, having fun.