I know many writers who first dictate passages, then polish what they have dictated. I speak, then I polish - occasionally I do windows.

Koch plays on the double meaning of “polish”: revising prose and literally polishing surfaces. The line contrasts a common writing workflow—dictate first, refine later—with his own self-deprecating claim that he speaks first and only afterward “polishes,” suggesting an improvisational, talk-driven style (fitting for a politician known for quips and public performance). The punchline “occasionally I do windows” extends the metaphor into domestic labor, puncturing any pretension about authorship and reminding the reader that refinement is both craft and mundane work. The humor also implies that clarity and finish are achieved through deliberate afterwork, not initial inspiration.