the nanny

the nanny
tells you right away
that she has a masters degree
in physics,
and that she is just watching
these three
kids for the summer
to make ends meet.
the children, all under
six,
are gooey and loud
at the table.
noses run, cereal is on
their chins while
their small pink hands
slap at spilled puddles
of milk.
they pound in unison
their plates,
their faces red with
exhaustion despite it being
only nine a.m.,
the real parents, long
gone, are just a text away,
the zoo is planned.
school starts in two weeks,
she says,
tying a pair of shoes
on one child,
then i'm done with this.
do you have kids?