mission statement

what is your mission
statement
the man says on
the phone, questioning
your business
and what it does.
mission statement
you say? hmmm.
I guess it's
to make money
and feed myself
and to not fall
off any ladders
or burn down
any houses in
the process
of painting them.
that's it, he says,
sounding surprised.
what about mankind?
no virtuous endeavors
of making the world
a better place to
live in? beautifying
the world, one house
at a time. not really,
you say. I just
want to pay my
bills, help my
son out when I can,
and live a peaceful
life. are you a
green company, he
asks, sounding
exasperated and tired
from doing this
all day. Green, sure,
i'll paint with any
color my clients want.
green, red, purple.
by the end of the day
I can have green
all over me. so, yes.
put me down as a
green company.