lucille in the sky
Head in the clouds, dreaming. Feet on the earth, dancing.
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This poem is depressing and it is inspired by a modern-day family caught up in the rat race. Two young children, two hard-working parents, too much. Not to say that all families with two full-time working parents are this desolate, but they do exist. Work-life balance is increasingly difficult to find in the 21st century.
Thank you to the Red Dress Club for inspiring me to write a poem this week. It’s been far too long.
The End of the Rainbow
Daddy is tired from a long day at work,
Simply depleted.
Mommy, too.
Baby won’t sleep at night
Toddler has nightmares
And Mommy needs at least
Three glasses
Or two pills
To find her dreams.
Baby craves time with
Mommy.
Mommy
craves time to herself.
Mommy
Sleeps with baby.
Daddy
Sleeps with other women.
Toddler awakes
In a fit of terror.
They count down the minutes
The hours
The days
Until the weekends
Until holidays
Until vacations
Until the ends of their lives.
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38 Responses to the end of the rainbow
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My name is Lucy Miller Robinson. I live for mothering, writing, reading and dancing. I love nature, art, yoga, design and slow food. I make artisanal and medicinal teas for my business, Herbal Philosophy. I write short fiction and poetry and as-yet-unpublished novels. I strive for wellness, balance, mindfulness and gratitude. My blog is a love letter to the bohemian spirit.
Want to get in touch? Email me at lucy {at} lucilleinthesky.
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Yes, that was so sad! Intriguing, and sad!
At first I didn’t know where it came from, and then I realized it was a product of a story I heard this week about a middle-aged married couple.
I was really touched by this. It is very much my life right now, but in reverse and without the cheating. I work and my husband stays home with our daughter. And she has a clear preference for him. It’s heartbreaking and exhausting. I’m always counting down for the weekend…
Sara recently posted..TGIF peeps
I’m glad to hear it resonated with you. This family is kind of an extreme case, but all the same, you can still relate. My husband (who has a demanding job) also feels like he’s always counting down for the weekend. I look forward to the weekends as well, but just because I like having him at home
I think it’s true to life, right smack dab into the pitiful part of it.
Well done.
Stacey Smith recently posted..Take Us on the Magic
Yes, sad but very true.
This really hits the nail on the head about the rat race! Thank you for sharing this, despite the sad aspect, so many people will relate (and maybe not feel so alone, or get some gentle perspective…) P.S. Thanks so much for dropping by, I’m thrilled it led me back here.
Jude recently posted..Easy homemade guacamole
Glad you enjoyed. Welcome to my blog
I hope this poem reminds more people to cherish their lives rather then count down until the end.
That terrifies me.
Kristin @ Peace, Love and Muesli recently posted..What Would Michael Pollan Do
You’re right, it’s terrifying to think of your marriage and your family falling apart like this. All the more reason to nurture our relationships before our careers.
I love the hypnotic rhythm of this poem– it deepens the despair.
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed.
so sad but very well written!
Kerry recently posted..A Rant of Sorts – Flip Offs
Life is a sad reality for many.
This is so true – the counting life in minutes until the next best thing comes along like breaks or vacations – we need to enjoy the here and now and not take it for granted. you’ve stated that perfectly in this piece.
Ericka @ alabaster cow recently posted..changes
Thanks, Ericka, It takes practice to live in the present moment and truly enjoy each day of our lives. But it’s worth reminding ourselves to do so.
this was startling in its reality and how well i could relate to so much of it…counting the minutes and needing two pills to sleep at night. powerful in its brevity. few words, but words that say so much. you have a gift.
erin recently posted..Brothers and Sisters
Thank you for your kind comment. It’s such a powerful release to share my words with the world. Now, the challenge is to stop counting the minutes and learn to enjoy.
This is sad. My husband and I talk about how hard it is not to live life as a countdown to something. Love the flow of this, though. It’s harsh, like the topic and really drives home the point.
angela recently posted..Morning at Home
It is hard. Why is that? It certainly takes practice to live in the moment and enjoy every day. But when you do, life is much easier and happier.
Such a sad poem. You captured the emotion so well.
Thank you for stopping by!
Oh Lucille…. this is really beautiful and yet sad… i guess there are many families struggling with this situation…
Ratz recently posted..For Once- I Want to be So
It’s heartbreaking. And hopefully serves as a reminder to all of us with happy marriages to nurture our relationship.
rhythmic, hypnotic, and so profoundly sad. do they know they’re sad? do they want anything different? This was really strong, beautifully written, and so worth saying.
Always counting down to when it gets better means it never gets better. (here via TRDC and Red Writing Hood, and so glad I came!)
Kirsten recently posted..Ending
Thank you, Kirsten, for sharing your words of wisdom. I think that often when people are sad, they feel trapped, thus accepting the sadness. Depressing. All the more reason to pledge to make our lives happy!
Wow…this made me cry. So beautifully written and powerful. Really breaks my heart for families who have to live like this…heartbreaking.
Melissa (Confessions of a Dr.Mom) recently posted..Breastfeeding Broke My Heart
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Melissa. Perhaps makes you once again grateful that you followed your intuition and chose not to work, ay? At least while your kids are young!
That’s very good. It’s terribly sad, but that’s society these days. I’m so very blessed to be able to stay at home with my family- I wouldn’t give that up for all the money in the world. It’s priceless.
Michelle recently posted..On the Corner of Peace and Hope
Neither would I! Well, I run my business out of my house, so I still have to work, but at least I get to be at home with my little girl. I agree, it’s priceless.
Such a fantastic pace, reflecting back to their crazy lives. Sadly, I don’t believe it to be as extreme as you might think.
Had to have a chuckle at this line – Daddy Sleeps with other women. Kind of like a slap in the head. Excellent job.
Ash recently posted..“Olive you”
You’re probably right. But we can hope that someday it will seem extreme. Glad you liked the poem. Thanks for visiting!
Sad, yes. Marriage and family balance is very hard work.
Well-worth it.
It also takes compromises, support and LOVE.
Thanks for sharing.
Let’s hope it’s only a phase?
Maryline recently posted..Lean Cuisine for Babies
You are right, marriage and family are very hard work, something of which I am reminded regularly. Thankfully, this poem was not about my own family, but was inspired by other families that I know and stories I’ve heard.
Touche. This is good good stuff.
Thanks, Hannah! Glad you liked.
[...] Immediately, I was inspired to create a dialogue with a small child, probably because I’ve been reading “The Nanny Diaries” by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. And it’s time for something light-hearted after last week’s piece for the Red Writing Hood, a poem about infidelity and unhappiness titled “The End of the Rainbow.” [...]
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