THE CRAFTSMAN

Because I asked
he told me about the wood,
the weight of it, the grain-
the trees, their characteristics-
some wormy, some marked
by disease, but everything 
adding to the interest, the beauty.
Perfect in their imperfection
it was always about the beauty.

Useful, yes - bowls, boxes,
vases, dishes - but these words must be
written in illuminated script
if one is to receive any glimmer
of the graceful shapes, glowing
finish, the feel of the article
resting in the hand, some of them
almost weightless, fragile,
precious.

He told me about the tools - 
lathe, chisel, sander.
but, no - the most important ones,
the crucial ones,
the ones he didn't mention
were his hands
his patient, meticulous
hands.

		Lucille Murphy