North Coast Journal March 20, 2008 : POEM : TITLE

March 20, 2008

Poem heading

Waiting for Glue to Dry

by John J. Brugaletta

for woodworkers on the North Coast

You may think you've built something,
but those nails only shoulder their way
among the fibers like a splitting wedge.
And screws are not much better even
if you pre-drill, their heads bald and cleft
or clumsily hidden with putty or a dowel.

So you buy the best wood glue there is,
spread it carefully on the joint, then clamp.
Then your awkwardness ends for awhile,
and a far more cunning craftsman works.
Out in the shop, the power tools silent,
hand tools still, lights off, he works.

He does the part your skills can't manage,
and in a crack so narrow you'd never be
able to maneuver your fasteners at all.
And yet, without a sound or audience,
he does his work well, while you doze off,
thinking vaguely of the mistakes you made.

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