Uncle Poem by Jared Carter

Our favorite? Not exactly. Still,
you made the rain
Of yellow shavings curl and spill
from your rough plane.

You smoothed the plank of native pine,
insisting we
Could do it, too, in our own time.
And carefully

You pressed the soldier's rusted knife
against the wheel
Until the sparkles showered life
and common weal.


First published in Trinacria.