The Carpenter as a Poet

He dreams of poetry like they were woodwork.
Dream images are drawn into diagrams
for his projects.
He wears hard hat and goggles. Safety first.

He marks the margins on the paper
with a snap of chalk reel string.
That done, he cuts them to A4 size with a saw,
drops the plumb bob, and
peeks with one eye to check for straightness.

Letters are sorted to form words.
Words are selected according to fit and purpose.
Some will be shelves.
Others, doors and window frames.

Nouns, verbs and adjectives are
pieced together like a jigsaw.
Hammer and nail in lieu of pen and ink.
Assembling them into verse.
He extracts segments from old,
unfinished works with a crowbar.

Rule #1: Phrases should follow
the rules of syntax and cohesion.
Levels and protractors are used for this.
Rule #2: Each stanza must fit perfectly
in boxes cornered with a tri-square.

He measures syllables and iambs
using steel tape rulers.
Each line sanded or rasped
ensuring smoothness.

The editor will edit his poem with a chisel.
The readers will read his poem with a pick axe.

Copyright ©2006 Ronnie C. Cabañes