The 5 o'clock hour

Dad comes home

eye like abandoned, concrete buildings

He tracks his day in

muddy footprints on the floor

How do you spell exhaustion?

He sits down to unscramle a game in the paper

He's brave, uses a pen

E-X-H-A-U-S-T-I-O-N

Mom comes home

carrying bags in both hands,

two more beneath each eye

Checks her makeup in the bathroom

What do you want for dinner?

She goes about the house

offering up the contents of the fridge

Spaghetti? Hot dogs? Potatoes?