In just three short lines, this haiku-like poem sets two moments side by side: a man quickly adding up what he owes, and his children still playing outside or in the next room, long past the usual hour. The title, "End of the month," tells us this is the time when bills come due, and the money worries tend to pile up.
The speaker seems tense but also tender. "Speedy" suggests he's rushing through the numbers, maybe because he dreads what they'll show. The children, meanwhile, know nothing of this. Their play is carefree, and the word "late" hints that he lets them stay up, perhaps because he doesn't have the heart to end their fun, or because he's too distracted to notice the time.
The mood is quiet and a little sad, but not hopeless. The poem never explains the debts or states a feeling outright. It simply lets the contrast between adult worry and childhood ease do the work, leaving the reader with a small, gentle ache.