What do you do

What do you do?

Washing. Wiping. Rising. Shining.

Feeding. Teaching. Driving.

List’ning. Loving. Living. 

Cooking. Cleaning. Caring.

Sleeping.

He nodded along

as she listed 

all the this and all the that

she fills her day with.

Her voice quieted,

And he posed the question:

“but what

do you do

for you?”

The pause grew

so big the mom

almost fell in.

Then she whispered

to him

and to herself:

“is that allowed?”