After their departure
\nsilence grips the house,
\npresents a three-dimensional map
\nof the warrens of emptiness,
\nand fills them with the pellucid jelly
\nof necessary desertion.<\/p>\n
Life called them away:
\nschool, kindergarten, a job.
\nLife leaves us here
\namid the confetti
\nthat young children exude:
\nit coats carpets and furniture
\nas if some elfin wedding
\nhad been celebrated in
\nanother dimension, and
\nsprinkled the debris gradually
\nwhile the children were playing.<\/p>\n
The first task is vacuuming
\nthe crumbs, bits of paper,
\nand it drains the joy, as one
\nmight empty a pool or a room:
\nall that is left is an echo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When grandchildren leave, everything in the house is covered with what might be confetti. What the heck is that about? (#1027) Continue reading