A Useful Life

He was a humble man,
Ideal for his job.
He had no question
About his lot in life,
And never wasted a moment
Thinking that it
Should have been
Or could have been
Some other way
Than the way it was.
He greeted every person
Who came his way
As an equal,
Giving each one a smile
And a comment or two
To cheer them on their way.
It didn’t matter
Whether they were
A corporate executive
Or a frazzled secretary,
Everyone got his respect
And the best shoe shine
He could provide.
He had been occupying
His spot in the hallway
For close to thirty years,
And some of his customers
Have been steadily
Coming to him
For almost that long.
In his mind
He was living
A useful life,
And he was happy to do so.