the ice man jumped off
before the wagon came to a stop
the horse snorted and shook her withers
then looked around as the ice man hoisted a thirty pound block
onto his rubber padded shoulder
he walked quickly up the porch steps and on into the kitchen
grandma had the ice box door open
any ice remnant tossed out the kitchen door
the ice man deftly maneuvered the steaming block
through the little door like he had done
countless times before
as grandma settled accounts
the ice man smiled
knuckled his forehead and said
thank you, miss Mattie
the horse waiting patiently in the traces
started pulling as the ice man stepped aboard
the wagon moved off
leaving a puddle in the dirt road
it would be gone in an hour
sucked up by the summer Texas sun
The Ace Hotel Notebook 