A Life Like Freshly Washed Linoleum

The air was fresh with the scent of new babies,
Of kisses on foreheads and enviously soft skin.
A strange homecoming; with three instead of two,
New furniture and accessories not included.

Quiet echoed in the doorways,
Except for the occasional scream for nourishment,
But peace prevailed and the floors stayed clean,
Although they got mopped less often.

And now? Now, the floors are dirty as soon as they're washed.
And the air is fresh with the scent of peanut butter.
There are four now, and soon after there will be five.
New furniture and accessories still not included.

Quiet happens only briefly,
And usually we're too tired to hear it.
Peace is something we remember fondly, just like clean floors.
But what we have is better than shiny linoleum.