In between time allotted for
Cooking and working and eating and sleeping
He stops and drops the
Research to
Put out my fire, to drag through
Miles of code for cockroaches
Crawling through the cracks.
In all the free time, stolen from
Retirees and stay-at-home mothers (and
Teachers in the summertime),
Volunteers pour batter into
Cupcake wrappers and scrape
Burnt soup from pot bottoms and
Then before bed, troll Walmart for
Polyblend socks on sale
To cover up rotting black toes.
After everything else is done at the
End of the day, kids gather up a
Minute to scrub crayon onto
Construction paper, launch letters
Across a page, piling the notes
For unknown soldiers and old folks
On the counter next to their
Lunch boxes.