When Aristotle wrote his books,
When Milton searched for a rhyme
Did they have toddlers at the knee
Requesting dinner time?When Dante contemplated hell
Or Shakespeare penned a sonnet
Did junior interrupt to say
His cake had ketchup on it?When Socrates was teaching youths
And Plato wrote the Phaedo
Were they the ones to clean the mess
The children made with Play-doh?If Edmund Burke had had to work
On all the kids ablutions
Would he have the time and strength
To speak on revolutions?Did food get bought when Darwin
Sought the origins of species
Or did he have them hush the tots
And tell them not to tease, please?When Holmes and Brandeis donned their robes
And gave their wise opinions
Was laundry piled four-feet high
With socks mixed up with linens?How much greater then the task
Of those who managed both
Who juggled scholarship with child
Development and growthAnd how much greater is the praise
For those who persevere
And finish their advanced degrees
And then take up a Career-Elizabeth Ralph Metrz