The window wiper
On his ladder
Shaking
Glinting metal
Hot in the sunlight
The man is at the highest window
He pulls off his hat to wipe his brow
Then looks down
At the bottom
Of the rickety ladder
He takes his wiper
And cleans the window
Then takes one, two, three, four steps
Four slow steps
Down the rickety ladder
Then stops
Cleans the window
Holds on tight to the ladder
The shaking, hot, rickety ladder
Then wipes his brow
Again
Then takes one, two, three, four, five steps
Five slow steps
Down the hot, rickety ladder
He looks up
Then down
Then up again
And stares
At the windows
He cleaned
On a hot day
On a rickety ladder
The shaking, hot, rickety ladder.