up on the ladder

i need eight
dry days to get
this work done.
that's all i'm
asking for.
two more jobs
with ladders,
out in the elements,
fighting the
wind, the slant
of the roof,
the soft ground
that makes your
footing slip,
the chill in
the air. eight
more days of
climbing the cold
steel rungs,
of teetering
on the edge,
of leaning,
scraping,
sanding, holding
on for dear life
with a a brush
in one hand.
it's another
season closing
in and i'm
glad of that.