Rust Problem Solved - July 24, 2025

the well-worn channels

of the adjustable wrench

palm-glazed handles on the hammer

and screwdrivers

a chubby electric drill, one speed -

fast and sparking, used less than the

hand drill, impaling from a Ferris-

wheel motion, spun by hand

these were my father’s instruments

the work bench I built copied his

he organized and treated tools well,

while I toss them into dusty piles

I have rust on some, why didn’t he?

my dry climate, his wet climate

just like I never found out what

was behind his vacant-eyed smile

mom said the demons of that war

were still fighting inside him

he never stopped building things though,

my rust problem answered, his resolved

guess his nightmares also never tarnished,

hard to do if he lived them over and over