Tomorrow, I will finish organizing the coat closet

Mopping the floors and baking a chocolate cake from scratch

I will polish the furniture and dust the bookshelf.

Tomorrow, I will have intelligent discourse

about art, politics and the state of the world

I will finish reading the novel on my nightstand

when I’m not being interrupted 10 million times

Tomorrow, I will make a mean martini and do my nails

I’ll put on my favorite lipstick and curl my hair

Tomorrow I will wear fancy heels instead of

worn-out Converse sneakers.

Tomorrow, I will check off my to-do list, run to the dry cleaners,

mail a package, go to the bank, fold the laundry and feel

oh-so-productive and accomplished.

But today, I will smell the sweetness of your neck.

Blow raspberries on your belly and bubbles in the air

Run through the sprinklers and splash into puddles

Make pillow forts, have tickle fights and cuddle all day

Today, I will sit down with Mr. Fox and Mr. Bear

Eat imaginary sandwiches and drink pretend tea

Dig up dirt to make roads for little toy cars

and play battleships in a bathtub of soapy suds

Today, I will babble with you and make up

funny words and weird noises like hoolihula and ahhooogaaaa

I will sing the same lullaby verse over and over again

And read your favorite book by heart until you are sleepy and still

Because I know tomorrow, I will miss the nonstop chants of

Mommy, mommy, mommmmmeeeeeeeee

You pulling me to come play and attacking me with kisses

Tomorrow, there will still be dishes to wash, errands to run, things to do

But there won’t be you this little…this small,

this hungry for love and for me.

Tomorrow, I will write a better poem than this.

Much more profound and poetic

instead of babbling on about bubbles and playtime and dirt.

Yes, tomorrow.

 

Tomorrow, I will.