Laundry woman

The laundry sack weighs 4.54 kilos
and that works out : 15 pounds in money.
the women don't stop
pushing their irons
folding their customers shirts
as they grumble about creases.
i feel fraudulent, passing on
my brothers washing,
knowing as i do, how much it costs.

He is important in the hierachy
somewhere, and his shirts will tell you that.
And when he collects, he will
crack a joke, or two, maybe
even leave a tip, what he won't know
is the cost.

He pushes groceries, keeps trucks
rolling, full of all the necessities
to sustain us . Ensures the nation
is fed and watered, maintaining
the flow , stretching the bottom lines.
Drives a posh car, lives within his
more than adequate means.
and has his laundry service washed.

they are ironing still, steam
hissing as one stops, pulls out another
random garment, and wonders out loud
whether he has a woman at home.