LYRIC FOR SALE

By Kimberly Medeiros

Verse 1
I’m a sixty-year-old lady with a mop and keys
Been cleaning up chaos since before these kids could read
Hallways sticky, mystery smells in the air
If you drop it, puke it, poop it — yeah, Ill be there
Four coworkers deep in this custodian show
Ain’t one of us normal, but we still go
From crayons to chaos, we handle it all
Ring that bell, Lord help us — here comes the call
Chorus
We got mops, buckets, attitudes
Vomit, poop, and broken rules
From cafeteria spills to bathroom blues
We keep this school from national news
Wax the floor, dodge the drama
Bleach stronger than our patience mama
We don’t teach math, we don’t teach school
But we clean up everything — including poo

Verse 2
Got a sixty-two-year-old bald Black bishop man, got a prayer and a trash bag plan
If there’s vomit on the floor, he bows his head
“Lord give me strength,” then sprays it dead
Blesses the bleach, anoints the sink
Says a quick prayer before he stops to think
If poop’s involved, he pauses twice
Then says “Amen” and pays the price

Verse 3
Sixty-three-year-old lady never misses a fight
Arguing with toilets morning, noon, and night
Turns her hearing aid down when we say “please”
But hears every rumor floating on the breeze
Yells through walls, vents, and stall number three
While I’m scraping stuff I can’t unsee
She swears she’s right, volume on ten
Then says “WHAT?” when you talk again

Verse 4
Fifty-year-old Yankee from Connecticut loud
Argues with the mop like she’s winning a crowd
“Back home we did it better,” every single day
Even the poop has something to say
Debates the trash, the sink, the floor
Like the vomit started it first, for sure
If arguing burned calories, she’d be thin
But here we are — clocking in

Verse 5
Short little lead with the clipboard at lay
Micromanaging steps we been doing all night
“Did you clean that corner?” “Yes — twice — today”
While I’m elbow-deep in a biohazard buffet
Doesn’t see it, doesn’t know
We’ve cleaned this school since long ago
Smile and nod, keep pushing through
While disinfecting shoe number two

Chorus
We got mops, buckets, attitudes
Vomit, poop, and broken rules
From bathroom floors to classroom shoes
We clean things kids swear they didn’t do
Bleach it twice, spray it strong
Laugh or cry — both feel wrong
We don’t teach math, we don’t teach school
But we save this place while breaking rules

Bridge
Kids think fairies clean this mess
Nah — it’s us and industrial-strength stress
We’ve seen things that can’t be erased
And still come back with coffee and grace

Outro
So when that bell rings, we survive another day
Scrubs in the wash, dignity… halfway
Old bones creak, but the floors shine new
Sixty years strong — the clean-up crew ????????