Carpet cleaner

Tim was a carpet cleaner
From the age of fourteen
First with Mr Harris
Then with Mr Geraghty
I met him just after he turned 21
He'd already been working for 7 years
His flat feet were always aching
It was a part of his daily life
Driving everywhere for work
Then coming home to me: his wife
We set up business together
Lugging that huge machine around
We worked hard for our living
But it was a good life!
I still remember carrying all those buckets
Full of hot water for that machine
(It was only many years later that truck mounts appeared)
We had to lug it out of the car, set it up inside
Fill that beast with hot water and cleaning chemicals
Day in and day out: we did it every week
We taped those bucket handles with rubber
Trying to make it easier on my poor hands
That did make a difference thank God
For it was giving me blisters every day
Then we got a water heater
It did make it so much better for a while
I only had to fill that machine with a hose
No more buckets to carry each day
We'd work hard all day: ready for a rest
Then off we'd go to work again next day!