The Salad Days

The first time she came,
all was new.
The world was boundless
and paychecks were small.
As she bid farewell
she left us one precious girl.
And we took the girl home to our crowded abode
and watched her grow.

Her next visit was sad and brief
and she took with her the child with whom she visited.

When she came again
we lived in a place not our own.
Our transitory life
seemed restless and unsettled.
As she exited again
she left us one loving boy.
And we took him to his uncles home,
and watched him grow.

And now she sojourns with us again.
Our life seeming settled out on the prairie.

As she visits this time,
she visits with another boy.
We know not his health or vitality,
but we are grateful for her visit.

For we know not when or if she will return.