JUST A HOUSEWIFE
| She felt so very nervous The strain showed on her face In this busy Legal office She felt so out of place She had reared two lovely children And they now were of the age She could seek casual employment To help her husband with her wage She had been a legal secretary Before her motherhood began But her nerve ends were in tatters As she observed this solemn man The years had flown by quickly And she felt so out of touch Procedures changed so rapidly Perhaps they'd changed too much This lawyer who confronted her His manner seemed so cool He made her feel uneasy He made her feel a fool She'd had fifteen years experience But that was long ago How could she think he'd hire her? Her confidence was low "Well, your references are first class But there's a gap of quite some years. Could you tell me of your recent work?" His question fanned her fears "I've been a housewife and a mother." She said with a voice so small "Since we commenced our family I've done no other work at all." "Just a housewife Mrs. Thompson? Well, I'll write that down for you. Now I've noted all your details We can start our interview." He spoke the words in innocence But those words he'd quickly dread Mrs. Thompson was insulted By the casual words he'd said His tone seemed so dismissive She had been nerved up for days She refused to let him trivialise The role a housewife plays It was purely her uneasiness That made her temper rise But the blazing pride of motherhood Was flaring in her eyes "Just a housewife, Mr. Lawyer? Just a Housewife, did you say? Well, the workload of a housewife Would top yours any day." "You spoke those words insultingly You spoke them with disdain And if you think I'm going to let them pass You must be damn insane." "You seem to think a housewife Has very little worth Well, I could guess it was a housewife Who gave your body birth." "Just a housewife Mr. Lawyer? Well, let me tell you Lawyer man There have been devoted housewives Since the early dawn of man." "A housewife toiled for ancient man 'til he went to his grave She cared for him and cooked for him And cleaned his dirty cave." "So, you have a fancy title? Well I can give you some And they're titles that you can apply To any housewife mum." "Who runs the family budget And pays accounts on time? I'm an economist and accountant I keep track of every dime." "When we need our man's assistance It's a well known proven fact We can make him do our bidding With skilled diplomatic tact." "We are in charge of family hygiene And in charge of laundry care And if someone rings our doorbell The receptionist will be there." "When your meal is on the table Here's a fact you can't deny It was put there by a housewife In charge of purchase and supply." "We do lots of the tricky jobs A handy man should do And for children's cuts and bruises We're in charge of First Aid too." "Just a housewife Mr. Lawyer? Just a housewife did you say? Well, just the back draft from a housewife Would blow you right away." "Some lawyers might work long hours And it drains them to the core But a housewife with young children Is on call for twenty four." "When you need assistance You just pick up the phone But a housewife doesn't have hired help She battles on alone." "Sometimes our days are wonderful Sometimes our days are hell Some not only run the family home But earn a wage as well." "When our children lack in confidence And their mood is rather blue We are sympathetic councillors And motivators too." "A child's mind is so fragile And to ease each mental pain We are amateur psychiatrists We help them smile again." "We are nurses when they're ailing And sometimes their sporting coach There is hardly a profession On which we don't encroach." "We are in charge of family transport When we drive our kids to school Yet your tone of voice suggested That a housewife is a fool." "A housewife wiped your runny nose When you were just a lad A housewife you called 'Mother' Was the best damn friend you've had." "We are pastry cooks and caterers There's few jobs we can't do And if we find a tap that's dripping We can be a plumber too." "These are just some of the many things A housewife does each day And she does it for a thing called love She doesn't ask for pay." "She could boast a hundred titles And keep this thought in store Who keeps the home fires burning When our men are called to war?" Just a housewife Mr. Lawyer? Just a housewife did you say? Well, we're the backbone of this nation And we prove it every day." "You think our job is easy But like other men who scoff If it wasn't for the housewives Your wheels would soon fall off." The lawyer interrupted But on his face there was a smile "I like you Mrs. Thompson I like your up-front style!" "You expressed your thoughts so clearly With examples true and wise I was full of admiration While you cut me down to size." "If you still want the position I can tell you that you're hired But with all the skills you've mastered I feel you're overqualified." He gave a friendly chuckle And with joy she heard him say "You can start tomorrow morning Or you can even start today." K.D. Abbott © 2009 |
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