I live with the Addie family now
breakfast being the most important meal of the day
and after the dishes are all put away
tables wiped, floors swept, teeth brushed
school begins with a focused start
each of us, lined up, one-by-one, at the counter
our smiles don’t waver, eyes don’t wander
and if our heads feel light
it’s because our minds have been rearranged,
thoughts traveling smoothly on industrial trains
instead of floating, drifting across open plains
.
welcome to the Addie family
where each morning follows routine
glasses of water for all of you
now find your name printed on the label
and don’t mix up the orange bottles
swallow, swallow, swallow
.
welcome to the Addie family
where each afternoon brings out the best in you
sit still, look, listen
our strings of thoughts now pulled taut, organized
and we’re not quite hungry anymore
but at least we’re a week ahead on schoolwork
learning at home while the classrooms are closed
.
welcome to the Addie family
where each evening we come back to ourselves
brother rams his head into things for a good laugh
sister cries in the bathroom, overwhelmed by it all
brother click click clicks to get his dopamine fix
sister bounces, springs, cartwheels past the windows
and the one in the corner there,
she keeps getting distracted by the pet fish
.
I’m with the Addie family now
enveloped, we are, in the order & chaos of our DNA
