Help Wanted Sign

[couchgrouch]

Help Wanted SignWell, he took first place arm-wrestling up in Petalumadriftin' town to town he stopped at a donut shop near Yumarefills needin' tendin', a young widow ran the place herselfbut no sign hung in the door, she was too proud to ask for helphe watched her mop a soda spill while he stood there in lineand the long distance look in her eyes was a help wanted signwell, it took some sweet talkin' 'fore she gave him a jobsoon he was topping off the coffees of truckers and traffic copshe knew women have fragile spirits and some bare their hearts to healso he was unsure when she invited him for a homecooked mealshe hoed her weeds and hoped he wouldn't get there on timeafraid her leaky roof might read like a help wanted signhe helped clear the dishes and they talked at the end of the daythe sun camped in the foothills and then it slipped awayhe fin'lly asked about the cross out behind her barnshe asked about the Desert Storm tattoo on his big right armshe met his kiss with sighs soft as midnight's breath in the pinescos in this world just being alone is a help wanted signshe taught him her recipes down at the donut shopthat ex-marine's strong coffee brought in more truckers n copsit took extra time each night to count the day's receiptswhen they'd rather be home makin' love in the restless evening heatthat shop wasn't where they wanted to spend all their timeso early one morning she hung out a help wanted sign(c)2006 Robert George