Nine of Wands

Don't forget choice lunch for the kids
But not on Mondays or Wednesdays
Because on those days, the children walk to the farm
Don’t forget the three Mondays in the spring that you are signed up to walk the children to the farm 
Don’t forget to pack a snack
To feed the dog
To buy the costume for ballet
and the musical cabaret performance
and the uniform for capoeira
and the shoulder pads for hockey
The full class lists are on the portal
don’t forget the password to the portal
(not the portal from last year, the new portal)
or that they don’t have school on Friday (inexplicable, not a holiday)

Don’t forget to pack a water bottle
(not that water bottle)
Don’t forget to write their names in permanent marker
On everything that goes to school
Don’t forget to throw out the half eaten bagel in the car seat
Before it molds and turns to toxic dust

The service light is on in the car
your passport is about to expire
(has it really been ten years?)
Three plants need watering today
Another three tomorrow
NOT the snake plant
it looks like it needs water but it is lying

Donald Trump will be the president
Elon Musk hates his daughter
RFK's brain worm has convinced him we all need polio again
(the entire cabinet has committed sex crimes)
Your deadlines are approaching
You don't get paid until you hand it in
SO HAND IT IN
HAND IT IN

The doorknob in the kitchen has broken off the handle
You can still use it to open the door
if you remember to press it back into the groove
Remember not to pull too hard

Don’t forget to buy the birthday presents for the parties on the weekend
One on Saturday, two on Sunday
Don’t forget to sign up for summer camp
(your son will never forgive you)
and swim lessons
and to buy new sneakers AGAIN because their feet keep growing

Don't forget to sign into the ticket website at 1PM
If you forget, there will be no tickets left
(your daughter will never forgive you)
Don't forget to move piano because it interferes with hockey
Don't forget to reschedule the meeting
And confirm the dentist
Ask if they can do both fillings on the same day
Who has time to come back?

Donald Trump will be the president
Think seriously about Uruguay and Spain
(But keep your wits about you, don't get histrionic)

Don’t forget the lunch you have on Tuesday
And the zoom on Wednesday afternoon
Therapy at four PM
and to move your car before eight
You don’t want another ticket
There’s construction on the sidewalk
Don’t forget to pay your dependent premium
and your union dues
And to change the credit card on file at the vet
Because you lost your wallet in a taxi in New York City
Don’t forget to get another copy of your car insurance
And to put the registration sticker on the car

Don’t forget to get the groceries
And to eat healthy food three times a day
You feed the dog dry food? (do you want her to die young?)
Don’t forget to gather up all the sugar in the house and throw it in the trash
To save yourself the heartache
But save a couple pieces for the kids
They worked so hard on Halloween
Don’t give them the complexes you have
(selfish)
All food is equal in moderation
Except for you, come on now, don’t be silly
And you’re not even menopausal yet
(just wait)

The disposal in the sink is clogged
And the kitchen still smells like stew
Don't forget to swiffer underneath the fridge
And get the guy in to investigate the leak above the dryer
Don't yell when you are frustrated
Apologize when you fuck up
You fucked up, just now, and now again
Stop fucking up so much
But remember you're just a person doing your best
Negative self talk is not helping you
STOP IT YOU WHORE
shit you did it again

When was the last time you had fun?
When was the last time you laughed?
When was the last time you cried or felt connected to the universe?

Be creative
Don't complain
Write your pages
It's your fucking job
BE CREATIVE
But please be clear
Clarity is important to the algorithm
The first sixty seconds have to be DYNAMIC
Viewers have a million options, you have to hook them
Quit complaining
(What's that buzzing?)

You haven’t paid your agent their commission 
You haven’t paid your lawyer
You haven't paid your credit card bill
You haven’t gotten your car washed in a year
You have to pay the rent on your office
You have to pick the frames up from the store
You have to return the clothes that do not fit
You have to move that rug and reorganize the utensils
And find a new place for the dog toys 
And put the shoes away
You have to find a place for helmets that is not just outside the front door
You have to get a new trash can from the city, the raccoons have chewed a hole

You have to wonder if all this remembering takes up space that might be useful
If you were to have a thought, a jagged dream, an inkling or a restlessness that might be worth a moment on the page

You have to wonder if your brain is too full up for imagining
Too busy with the have-tos to spend a second on the mights

The Nine of Wands is a limp to the finish line, a struggle to endure the sheer magnitude of things you have to remember. You’re bruised and battered, but at least for now, you’re upright, and you’ll make it if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

You can sleep when you're dead.