one day

at the beginning of this long winter

a sweet kid not more than 14 years old

showed up at my front door

shovel in hand

wearing sweatshirt and gloves

quiet and polite

asking if i wanted to hire him

yes!

without a moment’s hesitation

soon he was at work 

clearing my walks, my driveway, my porch

he charged me a very fair rate

 looking to make some cash before christmas

lives with his mom

in an apartment nearby

 i know nothing else about him

except that he works very hard

often appears without warning

just in time

to clear my path and then

is gone again as soon as he’s finished his work

i’ve no way to contact him

sometimes i see his steps and shovel marks

signs that he’s stopped over

but our timing was off

and now

on this weekend

with the long days of deep snow

he’s nowhere to be found

oh, where, oh, where,

 is the kid with the shovel?

and so

i am paying myself

 getting a free workout

day after day

 i’m sure i’ll see him again

maybe when it’s time

to move dirt

for the gardens.

—

“never doubt the power of love or one woman with a shovel.”

-carrie newcomer