It was raining on Sunday morning
They left the house and got into the van
It smelled like stale cigarette smoke
Spilled beer and nylon glue

Travelling over the bridge
From north to south
Then slightly east to bell parkway
A constant drizzle

The row house was typical
The driveway big enough for only one car
Sloped downward toward the house
From the street level above

Introduce ourselves
Remove the gear
Observe the task
Oh, great.  This will take a while.

They worked in quiet.  Not in silence.
Sleepy, groggy.  Tired and cranky.
The basement was damp
Unlit, as a cost saving measure
There they worked efficiently

Today would have been a day of rest for the help
With the grand mixture of cultures
Yesterday was the day of rest for the buyers
But we knew it when we signed up.

It was raining on Sunday morning
And they made a few bucks
The elder said things like “daddy-O” and “now, we’re cooking with gas”
The younger held his tongue.