white paint all the way down

the faster

and more efficient you were

with a brush

and roller,

the longer you kept your job.

it was a rat tag group

of old and young,

men and women,

teachers and cab drivers,

cooks and bums,

all suffering from

the economy of the early70's.

you did what you

could to earn your daily

crust of bread.

we started from the top

of the new

apartment building

and worked our way down

twenty-one floors

with gallons of white paint

in hand.

i kept my job

the whole way down.

when i drive by that building

today, 

i'm still amazed at how

hard i worked,

and still do, till this day.