A Poem, Cleaning and Repairing

Cleaning and Repairing
Scraping paint off the
floorboards
catching the paint scraper
on errant nails
she sees him rinsing
his van in the driveway
- he shouldn’t use so much water –
with a garden hose.
Retriever curled in the centre
of a manicured lawn.
A content habitation
with another
stiflingly humble
and a sweat bead forms.

The day’s work uses
her energy,
but the floorboards must get done,
the base must be right.
Her skin splits on a metal edge,
yet she continues,
he rubs his van with an old shirt
to dry it.
If a cut is necessary and
sweat results
from work
then so be it.

So it goes.
The van needs cleaning,
and the house needs remodeling.
Things need changing.
These are days off
spent wisely.