Dusk in the Suburbs

Dusk
Winter
Wednesday
Cold overcast
Suburban home
Up a knoll
Bike laying in driveway
Inside lights are on
Mom cooking
One child in front of the TV
The other doing homework
Dad on his way
It is cozy in the house
It is warm in the house
There is a sadness in the house
Children sigh at the middle of a school year
There are pressures to being young and expected to do well
Too soon
Mom is bored with being a housewife with so many little things to do
All day
Everyday
Chores that bore her
The trivia of living and only fun on weekends
If then
Not like when her and husband were young
They have responsibilities now
Also known as children
She loves/resents her children and all the love they give and all the love they demand
Dad pulls into driveway curses at the bike sprawled there
He is overworked and underpaid and has to worry about bills and making his wife happy
And the children
He has to be a good role model and a loving father and tend to their needs and care
He has to care about so much now so much of it isn't him caring for others is hard
He misses college and fun and parties and booze and different girls and buddies
Oh the freedom is gone now
Mom pecks dad on the cheek it is nothing and everything
He loosens his tie as mom checks the roast in the oven
Twenty minutes until dinner is ready
Sister wants to watch one more show dad says okay but that's it
Brother is nearly done with his homework -- already!
Later he'll start to watch the basketball game with dad before nodding off
Everyone is healthy
Today
Tomorrow who knows
It starts to rain so dad calls the dog and lets it in the kitchen and the cat hisses
Dinner conversation is pleasant
Barely
They are inching along in their lives the children are content enough but the adults are dying
Very slowly
Bed time awaits
A reprieve for everyone