Winter Tune-up by Charles Rammelkamp

.

Winter Tune-up

.

Coming  up from the basement,

I recognize the doo-doo-do-do-doooo opening bar

of “Strangers in the Night,” whistled

in an absent-minded birdcall.

by the guy from the fuel company,

here to tune up the furnace for the winter.

.

Doo-doo-do-do-doooo.

As far as he goes.  Over and over.

A blast from the furnace

when he jacks up the thermostat.

Doo-doo-do-do-doooo,

up and under like a pre-dawn cricket song.

.

Exchanging glances floats through my brain

in a Sinatra voice. Something something

What were the chances?

.

A pop song from half a century ago.

Always heard it was about a gay tryst,

but it seemed to me

it could just as easily be a man and a woman.

 .

Gary, the furnace guy,

looks to be in is early thirties,

young enough to be my son.

Odd, I think, he’s whistling that song.

.

Two lonely people, we were

doo-doo-do-do-dooo.

.

After an hour, Gary trudges up the steps,

lugging his toolbox and equipment.

“Okay, replaced the oil filter,

installed a new nozzle,

did basic maintenance on the boiler system.

You’re good to go. Sign here and here.”

.

Our fingers touch when he hands me the pen.

A spark of static electricity.

“Whoa!” Gary apologizes.

“Must be from working on the boiler.”

We exchange a glance.

.

Charles Rammelkamp is Prose Editor for BrickHouse Books in Baltimore, where he lives and Reviews Editor for Adirondack Review. His most recent books include American Zeitgeist(Apprentice House) and a chapbook, Jack Tar’s Lady Parts ( Main Street Rag Press). Another poetry chapbook, Me and Sal Paradise, is forthcoming from FutureCycle Press.

Advertisement