Judith Viorst: Our wonderful annual full-fledged family vacation

It is August at the Cape,
And we're here once more
On our wonderful annual full-fledged family vacation,
Having taken (for a rent in the low five figures) a house large enough to accomodate
Our children, their spouses, the grandchildren, the two of us, my divorced sister-in-law,
And her overenthusiastic Golden Retriever,
Without whom, she made clear,
She'd rather not come.

No pets accompanied the families flown in by us
(For fares in the low five figures)
From Chicago, Jacksonville, and Austin.
And now we are here, together again for two weeks,
On our wonderful annual full-fledged family vacation.

Where I am trying, with moderate success, to overlook
The wet beach towels soaking into the living-room chairs,
The use of the kitchen table as the baby's changing table,
My sister-in-law's chartreuse thong bathing suit,
And where I am trying with moderate success, to make pleasing meals
For the one who won't eat anything that once had a face,
For the one who won't eat anything that is green or swims,
For the one who won't eat anything unorganically grown,
For the one who won't eat anything,
And where I am trying, with moderate success, to find happy ways to parcel out
The car, a quart of Cherry Garcia ice cream, and my complete attention
Among adult siblings whose rivalries always return,
Unresolved, unrepressed, and untarnished by the years,
On our wonderful annual full-fledged family vacation.

I am, presumably, having a wonderful time,
Even though the organic daugther-in-law and the monthly pedicure daughter-in-law are not invariably en rapport
Or on speaking terms,
And even though my husband and I cannot have sex for two weeks
Because nobody knocks at our bedroom door before entering,
And even though the grandchildren and the Golden Retriever
Have done many irreparable things to our rented house,
For which there are sure to be penalties
In the low five figures.

This morning I woke up early
And, amid the smell of sweaty sneakers and bluefish,
I found myself thinking that maybe just one week in August,
Or maybe, now that I'm thinking such thoughts, just one weekend,
Might make for an equally wonderful,
And perhaps an even more wonderful,
Wonderful annual full-fledged family vacation.