IT NEVER ENDS

My house is a mess

It causes me stress

But not quite enough

To clean up, I confess.

I try, I do -

I know you do too -

But all I can manage

Is limit the zoo

'Do 5 tasks before bed!'

'Put ten things away now!'

So all the posts say

But they don't quite get how:

Those things are not all

And nor are they small

I could do things all day

And achieve nothing at all

You see...

A house is not static

It doesn't stay clean

Those 'five' or 'ten' things

Go forever, I mean

It's all very well

To do a 'ten minute blitz'

You'll feel glad at the end

To have tidied a bit

But the blitz will have sapped

All your energy too

And still what you have

Is a shit-load to do

There are still things to clean,

Still tasks that are waiting,

And kids who need food,

And food that needs plating

The dog needs a walk,

The garden is scrubby;

The spiders have scared

The kids from the cubby

The clothes still need washing,

The sheets must be changed,

Insurance and banking

Must all be arranged

The floor needs a vacuum 

And also re-stumping

The bedroom needs cleaning,

My clothes need de-frumping

The blinds all need dusting

And the cupboards de-musting!

The barbecue's rusting!

The rubbish bin's busting!

The walls need re-painting -

We'll do that some day

We'll pull up that carpet,

And throw it away.

The wood on the deck is rotting, I know

The front fence is falling and it has to go

We'll plant those fruit trees we've been talking about

And hire a skip and clean everything out.

We'll clean out the garage

And use it for cars!

Instead of parking 

Under the stars.

There's so much to do

And no time to do it

I guess all I can do

Is Keep Working Through It.

June Yarham / Flickr