Edit 1: Bedtime Clichés

[Richard]

Hey Alex,
I like the overall idea here. I do have some thoughts though:

Bedtime Clichés -I think the title is okay. However, why not go into more detail about the cliches? Maybe even play around with the idea of what is cliched here more?

Her liver-spotted hands -I like this as an opening. It caught my attention, and made me want to know where this poem was going to take me.
run warm water through dry hair,

massaging soap into our scalps -Perhaps reword to something like : "soap massaged into our scalps/ until lather dribbles, eyes wince". This just sounds stronger to me.
until lather dribbles over wincing eyes.

The fragrance of green apple promises
a new age of creation. Before we whine, -I like the enjambment here. It emphasizes an important word, "whine". This words sums up the speaker's powerlessness well.

she takes both thumbs to wipe away
the bubbles while she hums a lullaby. -Now the lullaby could tie back to the cliches in the title. However, you need to go into more detail. Maybe pick a specific lullaby, or play around with how the lullaby sounds to the speaker?

Today's clothes are strewn across
ceramic tiles; its fabric is a phrase

full of sand, smelling of the sea, and
ketchup-stained. Incarnations picked by her -I quite like the image of the ketchup stain. The "phrase full of sand" sounds almost magical/carefree, but then it gets taken back to reality by the stain. Good stuff.

are folded on the sink. And the guise
of childhood convinces us that

we are the idea. -I love this ending. The spacing gives it the proper emphasis, but it's also so sad. It ties back to the cliche in the title too because most children would think like this, and there is something tired/cliched about a scene like that described in the poem. In my opinion, the ending strengthens the title. The only thing missing with the title is that you could describe them being tucked into bed as well, so the title is fully accurate. Just a thought.

I like this first draft, and I look forward to seeing where you take this from here.

Thanks for the read,
Richard