In anticipation, crude kettles boil -
waiting for masters to cease to toil.
Steadily their excitement mounts
and bubbles bubble in furious founts.

Then, bellowing like a bell,
from the sudden silence you can tell:
you can hear it's lunchtime on a building site -
there descends a stillness, like dead of night.

A startling contrast to drills that drone
and the concrete mixer's monotonous moan,
this almost eerie lack of sound
brings upon me a feeling profound.

A frenzy of tools that once ran riot
now observe a ritual quiet,
as labourers lay them down to rest
and take to hand meals to digest.

Nothing fancy, just bread 'n butter -
with food-filled mouths they munch 'n mutter.
The occasional joke sets bread crumbs free
and incontinent mouths spray bad coffee.

Then, when contented bellies bulge
from the fuel in which they indulge,
the men, for the balance of their break,
in a raucous football match partake.

Amongst builder's rubble and half buried trash,
in a makeshift field handful-teams clash.
With bricks as goal posts, tin can as ball,
they engage like children in a playful brawl.

Completely lost to all cares of the day,
yelling at the top of their lungs as they play.
And, from their joyous screams of delight,
you can hear it's lunchtime on the building site.

But this game which started so amicably mute
quite soon erupts into a clamorous dispute
as self-appointed referees
award contentious penalties.

Insults and accusations fly
as fingers point and tempers run high.
Some rather tense moments erupt,
but then, the calm's return is as abrupt.

So, these children within men play on
and goals are lost and points are won,
and heros are made of humble men,
the victors triumph and gloat, and then...

...no sooner to their game returned,
then ends this break they so well earned.
A car horn like final whistle blows,
and thus sadly marks the curtains' close.

And, as if someone had switched a switch,
site work suddenly resumes its pitch,
as frantic tools whine at such pace
to try meet deadlines that they chase.

Immersed once more in all cares of the day,
and exacted from them the price for pay.
From hushed laughter is heard their plight,
it's no longer lunchtime on the building site.