On the morning of the third day
Worrying about our house going up in flames
Unable to get through on a holiday weekend
I called yet another electrician's number
Emilio called back and came right away
Speaking in a voice I instantly liked hearing
Paired with Dave his helper ready to take care of us
Replacing the main suspect components
Not a simple problem to diagnose and fix
With unexpected scary weird symptoms
But these two determined what needed to be done
Puzzling it out while answering my questions
Eight years since Emilio started as a helper
Four years since he got his electrician license
And four years these two have been amiable work partners
As I take in the respect and affection between them
Emilio lifts the neck of his tee shirt up to his nose
To wipe off drips of sweat as best as he can
Standing at the top of the ladder handling live wires
While I watch admiring him and his skills
Replacing the box by the meter was not enough
The entire breaker panel gets replaced too
Leaving us without power for seven hours
While they worked in the heat of a July day
I brought them water and thanked them
Seeing their clothes smeared with grime
Working on a day most people had off
Giving me a break not charging extra
Now they are gone I miss their camaraderie
Such handsome young men with winning smiles
Who provide an essential service cheerfully
Happy to make an honest living
I wish I had asked them if I could take their picture
For me but also to give to them to keep
For the day when they are my age and look back
Proud of the work that they did
