summer job

having never
pushed a wheel
barrow full of
anything, you
thought, how hard
could this be.
and the man,
the old man, black
as an iron rail,
and as strong,
said to me, go
ahead son, put
some bricks in
there and push
it across the yard.
i made it three
feet before it
toppled and
crashed, but
he hired me anyway.
and for the next
nine hours i hauled
brick and cinder
blocks and pushed
wheel barrows full
of grey wet cement
for the masons.
and the next day
i quit. i've never
been as sore before
or since then. every
muscle and bone
in my body ached
for days, but i
had my check for
thirty six dollars
and ninety seven
cents after taxes.