the painter rose the ladder of success

to change a bulb and while he was there
he dusted the old ceiling fixture and thought he should
bring it down and wash it with dish soap. the screws that held the
glass shade were painted over and difficult to turn.
he would remove them to strip the paint off but the screws were
crimped to keep them in place so he started picking at them with his
nails, he held the glass bowl between his legs while he picked. the
ceiling has a unvisited look to it like the surface of an unvisited
planet, he thought, as he picked at the brass screws he felt lonely on
the ladder of success.