I do not care for perfect hands
That never seem to have demands,
With perfect nails that never break
And cuticles that do not ache,
And never find a touch of dirt
Beneath the nails that sometimes hurt.
I rather love to see a hand
Belonging to a working man,
Who never minds his hands to look
As if their owner reads no book
Or finds a worrisome task to do,
The nails forgotten, chipped askew,
And only tended to at last
When company comes to end a task.
“A quick scrub up is all, ” he’ll say,
“When work is finished end of day.”
If e’er I need a helping hand,
I hope that helper is a friend
Whose beautiful and callused hand
Foretells the character of man.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
I absolutely love this. It's very hands-on poetry. :) t x