contractors
for estimates on renovating
your bathroom,
it's what people do when
they're about the spend
thirty thousand dollars
of their children's inheritance
in one fell swoop.
nothing has been touched
since 1968,
before we even landed on the moon.
the tiles green
and pink,
chipped and cracked.
things swirl forever in the clogged
drains of sinks.
the hair and makeup of several wives
still tangled
in the pipes.
it's a variety of men that
come to the door
to measure, some in suits,
some in logo shirts,
some in shorts and flip
flops, fishermen hats.
smokers, and non-bathers,
a few with rings and necklaces
around their thick
tanned necks,
pulling up
in Cadillacs or dented white
vans with out of state tags
and ladders on the roof.
some speak English, some
don't.
they take pictures and measure,
one has a laptop
that he zooms around.
another uses his fingers to count
the tiles on the wall
and floor
and makes marks on his hand,
giving you a napkin
later with the price of the job.
some have brochures, others
have business cards with the names
and numbers crossed out.
a few have websites
with photos and reviews,
while others have no trace of
their existence, it's as if they
were never born.
they leave behind their measuring
tapes,
pencils and notebooks,
calling later
to stop by once more.
elimination is easy, then it comes
down to two.
the coin flip
takes place as you pray on your
knees that you're
not making a big mistake.
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