From Walter's reject pile

First day on the job the slate roof was black
rain slicked
and loose tiles skittered past like nervous bones
knocked loose by the boots of strangers
All through the gray morning I hauled
stone
bundles bound by steel bands
Halfway up on
spindly aluminum legs
I stopped.
Leaning against the load
balanced on my right shoulder
the narrow frame was
bending
bouncing under the weight
And I realized (too late!)
it was me
shaking with fear, fatigue, and adrenalin
I lost my grip and
let
the bundle
fall
My yell
alerted those below as it
exploded into sharp shards
Later I returned with trays
of coffee and soft drinks
bags bulging with pastries, bagels and
breakfast sandwiches
We reclined beneath the bell tower
our heels dug into 2x4 cleats
and the stranger I almost killed
handed me a cigarette
while the others told me stories
about all the stone they broke
and their first days on the job.

Filed under: Pabulum & Poetry by McKnight
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