The Cleaning Lady

Invisibly insignificant, as she walks by emptying
Trash cans and cleaning bath room sinks. Only the tap, tap
Of leaky faucets trying for her attention. No one even glances
Her way as she wanders through empty hall ways. Push broom

Leading her from one room to the next. Sweeping away Unwanted
pieces of other peoples messy, cluttered lives. Humming a smooth
tune to herself as she scrubs toilets with yellow rubber gloves.
People coming in spilling grape juice and cookie crumbs on her

Freshly mopped floor. Ignoring her tired eyes as she realizes
all her sweat and drudgery has now gone to waste. That’s
another Thirty minutes that she will be away from the only
place where she can be her own boss. The only place where

People care about how her day went. A place where her partner for life
stands waiting at the door to surprise her with flowers. A place where
her children sit anxiously at the dinner table waiting to give her the
wonderfully prepared dinner that they have made for her. But no one

Seems to notice. She sits to rest her screaming Feet and close
her eyes for her own moment of eternity. She Looks up and
sees everyone leaving in groups. To the cleaning lady no one says
Good night. She remains invisibly insignificant as they walk on by.