Today...

Today...

Dust carts need fewer men

Probably that applies to women too

Not that I have seen too many dustwomen

Perhaps they have more sense

Than to hang out with guys

Who drink a six-pack before dinner

Wear extra-large work shirts

And could sleep a family of four

In their dungarees

They never have time to smile

The way they used to

When full of helpful reminders to put out

The recycling,

Picking up the spillage

Without being asked

Taking a few extra bin bags,

Rather than leave them

On the doorstep,

Whilst whistling

‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’

With all the really high bits

As well as the clever triple tonguing,

Trilling like minor birds

As they worked,

Not at all angling for a Christmas

Bonus

I remember when they sang Beatle songs

In harmony

First thing in the morning

Here comes the Sun

Yellow Submarine was a favourite

I was never sure if it was because

The truck was yellow

Or the words were easy to wrap their

Tonsils around without needing

To use a dictionary

The driver never wore his watch

He had a lighter band of skin

Around his left wrist

In an age of equality and gender neutrality

Men still wear a watch on the left unless

Of course they are left-handed

Whist women wear a watch on the right

Nowadays young people just use the phone

I don’t know where they keep them

For safety reasons

Although with bright screens

They are always high-viz

What happens if they drop it

In the crusher...oh dear

Prudence is a virtue

In a high risk occupation

Perhaps the driver keeps his watch for best

Only wearing it when he is going out

It could be in hock,

When I was an apprentice

The oldies played cards

Every chance they could get

Too many men too few winners

The guy in the engineering store

Ran a book

I waited there for a long stand

Somebody else asked for a skyhook

Watches traded places

With post-it notes

I guess they were betting slips

Or maybe he ran a pawnshop

He had a shelf set aside for porn

Sallow-eyed guys

Rolled them down into their coveralls

Before disappearing into the toilet

One skinny guy, who combed his hair

From the back of his head

And used a whole tin of hairspray

Every day

Stayed in there so long

The shop steward

Had convened a lightning strike

We were awarded a threepence an hour

Wage increase, long before we ever saw him again

He had a smile on his face

Perhaps he knew something

We didn’t

He never wore a watch

As I recall

But he did have a wedding band

I always wondered how...