Oily bags
And mismatched screws
Wearing
Rusted washers;
Coarse bolts
And nuts with
mouths agape.
The son removes
Bands of steel
While the father
Cleans the remains
To put to use
Another day.
A perfect fit!
But not quite.
Son runs to the truck
While father
Digs in his tools
To find a fix
To their fix.
Metal on metal,
Father and son,
One learns
While the other teaches.
He learns
To shave
With steady hands.
A gap between
The rods becomes
Secure with
The shaved bolt
And a few nuts
By the dexterity
Of the father
And the observation
Of the son.
Composed 06/10/12
Author’s Note: On this particular day, I was outside, enjoying the warm weather, when I noticed my host dad and host brother tinkering about. I sat with them and watched as they began to prepare parts to fix up the family vehicle. It was one of those rare father-son moments you hear about from sit coms and dramas. It was fascinating to see what they could do with what appeared to be salvaged parts. There’s big money right now for salvaged metal in the countryside, so you’ll see massive piles of rusted metal in most people’s yards, waiting to be taken to the factory in Darkhan.
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