a days work

his hallway
kept him busy all day.
stripping the green linoleum.
then washing,
then waxing. steadying
the heavy buffer
with two hands, the long
cord plugged in
at the far end.
it was his hallway.
and at four o'clock
he'd be finished.
the sun would shine
through and he would
lower his gaze,
turning his head just so,
to witness the shine,
the polished gleam
of the long
stretch of hall,
a days work, now done.