Emerging Courageous Online Magazine - Poetry
Working Hard by Judi Whittaker
"Hi Hon, I'm home," my husband called, as he walked
through the door,
The same thing that he's always said a hundred times before.
He put his briefcase on the shelf and then took off his shoes.
"My Lord," he said, "I'm really tired, is there any news?"
"Nothing much," I said to him, and kissed him on the
cheek.
"I bet you're glad it's Friday, it's been a busy week".
"You're right," he said, "I'm knackered, and really famished now,
something smells delicious love, and I could eat a cow."
"Well, supper's almost ready dear, so go and get washed
up,
the coffee pot is brewing too, just let me get your cup"
So, how was work today?" I asked, "was everything okay?"
"A total waste of time," says he, "A bloomin' useless day."
You'll never guess what happened, our computers crashed again,
the third time that it’s happened, it’s such a ruddy pain.
Not one of us can figure out, why they keep going down,
so we sat around all morning, then for lunch, we went down town.
We thought we'd check that new place out, and put it to the
test,
their pizza's are delicious and their chicken is the best.
A few guys tried the t-bone steaks, with salad and some fries,
You should’ve seen how much we ate, you’d not believe your eyes!
We went back to the office, but not till after two,
I don't know why we bothered, there was nothing we could do.”
"Well, never mind," I said to him, "I've made a special treat,
I've fixed your favorite supper, so let's sit down and eat."
That's when he took a look at me, his face was something else,
I hadn't even thought of how I must have looked myself.
"My God, he said, "just look at you, your hands are a disgrace,
You've got scratches everywhere and blood upon your face."
"What an earth have you been doing, to get in such a
mess?"
"Just pruning roses," I replied, "and brambles off the fence,
Oh yes," I said, "and then I thought, it might be kind of fun,
To saw up all those fallen trees, and guess what else I've done?
I've dug up all the rhubarb and moved it near the path,
then cleared out all that underbrush, and gave the dogs a bath.
I’ve also pruned the apple trees, and hoed the flower beds,
pulled weeds out of the rockery, and cleaned the garden shed.
I thinned out all the carrots, staked the peas with chicken
wire,
And then I burned the garbage round the back upon a fire.
I gave the pigs fresh bedding, cleaned out the chicken coop,
Before I mowed the lawn though, I cleaned up all the poop.
I swept the deck and pathways, hung washing on the line,
Before I even knew it love, well, it was dinner time.
Now when I've washed the dishes, I'm going out again,
There's still some stuff I want to do, tomorrow calls for rain.
The back fence still needs fixing, and I want to plant some
seeds,
Why don't you come and help me dear, by pulling out some weeds."
"You must be joking love," he said, "there isn't any way,
I'm tired and have to take a nap, I've been working hard all day."
Judi Whittaker © 2002
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