Today, All Day

Today,
all day,
    he built stairs to the back door.

Today, All Day

Bob Komives

One hour
    to get ready,
    to find tools,
    lay them out,
    set up an outdoor workshop.
One hour
    (after he said he was done)
    to do the same in reverse.
In between,
    he built three stairs,
    and still this is half the story.
Yesterday,
    he ripped out what had been.
Tomorrow,
    he must deal with mess:
    old boards
    (attached and not)
    concrete block and brick
    that had underlain the old stairs,
    new scraps,
    and dust swept aside.
Later,
another day,
    he must deal with wall parts and ground parts
    newly exposed by his smaller replacement.
Now,
    he remembers why he put this project off
two months
and three years.
Now,
    as he sips a beer
    and tries to celebrate his fantasy of completion,
    he has a nagging feeling:
next week
    he will admit his new stairs need a railing.
    That project
    he would design with patience
    and build with care,
    such that
    (to his misfortune)
Winter
    might come down early
    and prevent him
    from rebuilding three decadent garden gates
    until, perhaps,
 next Spring.

Bob Komives :: Fort Collins © 1999 :: Today All Day :: ,9908