This ode to the unsung heroes — the handyman, plumbers, roofers, electricians, etc. was written by Roque & Mark Vice President Zina Markevicius. The poem was inspired by ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Zina Markevicius and the whole Roque & Mark staff send our deepest gratitude and thanks to these workers who are essential to our everyday health and safety.
Twas the year of corona, in the apartment and house,
A faucet was leaking, your kids saw a mouse;
The laundry room was dirty, the tub drain full of hair,
The fridge wasn’t cold, the window screen had a tear.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
Til the smoke detector battery beeped to our dread.
With my mom in her gator and I in my mask,
Wondering who could we call? Who’d be up to the task?
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a van packed with tools and contractors so dear.
No one called them essential but they came anyway,
They came during lockdown, they came night and day.
The electrician, the locksmith, the janitor and plumber;
Without the heater technician, cold nights are a bummer.
From the roof to the porch, to the floors and the walls,
They’re fixing our problems, they’re fixing them all!
In a global pandemic, they come to regrout and to clean,
And no one is talking about giving them the vaccine.
The kitchen sink is stopped up with the grease from your dinner,
And what’s clogging the toilet is too gross to consider.
But here comes a masked man to clear out that mess,
So we can have Christmas with a little less stress.
Our home sweet home fixed, the team left in their van,
We wanted to high five them, but couldn’t touch hands.
So instead I exclaimed, as they drove out of sight—
Thank you, Handyman, you’re our hero tonight!