OUT LIKE A LAMB

Tonto pulled me out of the mud this morning
by a cable James padlocked
to a fork of the SkyTrak
3 pulls in neutral and I was out
it was an 11 hour day
crowned by James loading me
with some other company’s comp reels
and an accident on Old Settler’s
that reduced everything to a one lane
all the way to Mays
back at the shop I laughed
hard enough to save my life
with shop captain Clayton, the Texan.
out on the job I see some of the
pinched and bitter faces but mostly, I’m took
with the goodness of men, grinning under
hard hats in the rain, hoisting reels
over chain link fences
in the endless black mud
I don’t think it’s a good life
but who am I to judge—I know, for me
being an American laborer is not but
I’m glad these men are in it, and women
all hardbitten, anyone with half a heart
knows the world is taking a dark turn
but we’re holding on and
laughing if we’re lucky, like I did
this afternoon, up to my knees in mud&grease
dreadfully older than I ever thought or
wanted
pulling in behind the gate and
walking away from the shop
into the warm wet wind.