busy signal

or, these days, left on read

cuties 🍊

//Sorry, I can’t come to the phone

Every time I look away to scroll,
The toddler swipes another baby wipe,
And I'm sorry to say
Our budget isn't built for these kinds of losses.

//That text will have to wait

The 2 month old is smiling,
SMILING at me.
And yes, I've seen this before,
But did you know that when you blink,
They go from
2 months to
2 years to
12?
I don't want to miss a moment
(but I'll respond when I can).

//Whoops, forgot about your text altogether

That 2 month old I mentioned?
He was smiling because of the
Diaper blowout of epic proportions he was preparing.
Gotta clean the baby
Clean the clothes
Clean the sheets
Clean myself
(jk, that last one will have to wait)

//I'm watching the phone ring, ring, ring

No, it won't go to voicemail;
It's full, like my life, and I want it
(both)
To stay that way.
(Also, did you know that
1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 6?
That also equals how many kids I have,
And trust me,
You do not want to have a live phone conversation right now.)

//I'd respond to you, really, but

I'm considering sewing beads into my locs and taking down my daughter's braids. // The bush in the front yard is blooming, and I simply must take another picture. // The boys need to know if I'd rather ride a dragon or an eagle on Minecraft, and my doodle's fluffy paws are begging for a trim. // The half-empty cups scattered on my dresser are in need of collecting, and I'm chasing that first-read feeling as I restart a well-worn book. // And of course I can't forget those messages I need to respond to.

Sometimes I'm busy
Doing everything;
Other times I'm busy
Doing nothing,
But always doing.
Always
Doing.

And when out of sight really is
Out of mind,
Please don't take it personally.
Sure, I'm tempted to feel guilty,
But access doesn't equal
Availability.

Thankfully love isn't put on pause
Just because texts are left on read;
Blessedly the real ones know
A busy signal is just that--
A sign that right now is not the time,
But another moment of connection will come--
Soon?
Hopefully, soon.