it all falls away

it all falls away.
the tidy room, this house,
neat
and clean
shiny with wax and polish.
painted Parisian blue.
one child
and the curtains
matter less.
that tear in the wallpaper,
who cares now?
the tiles can stay
mud caked
for more than a day.
the shelves
can lose their order.
the phone can
ring.
one child changes
everything.