In His Shop
In his shop Daddy improvised
like a jazz musician.
Virtuoso of rivets, solder, screws, he
repaired hinges with leather,
lengthened a steering shaft
for the tractor-drawn binder,
braced wobbly chairs with welding rods,
reincarnated metal seats
into lawn furniture.
Lightning from his welder
like brain synapses
crackled creations into being.
Pounding hammer,
tapping chisel,
whining file perfected
riffs of leather, metal, wood.
© 2002 V. Nesdoly Published at Utmost Christian Writers Poets Places. Also published in Calendar, 2004
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Next Tuesday, January 14th, is Poetry At Work Day. In honor of that day, the poem I’m re-posting today is about the work my dad did. (I first published it here in 2011).
Want to celebrate Poetry At Work Day?
Check out this Poetry At Work Day Survival Kit
And from that article, 10 Great Poems About Work
This post is part of Poetry Friday, hosted today by Donna at Mainely Write.
Violet Nesdoly 
Hi Violet,
Wonderful poem. I still miss my dad too; he died in 1983. Blessings…
Here in Wisconsin, the corn is growing…so beautiful. All the tiny plants in perfect rows. The weather is still cool, and we still have our lilacs.
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Aw, sorry you don’t have your, daddy, Ellen…
Nice to hear about the progress of spring/summer in Wisconsin. It’s been a drawn-out affair here too. Lots of cool, cloudy weather lately, but the silver lining of those clouds is that the chill sure does keep the starch in the blossoms.
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I love the physical exercise of it the cyclical nature of it and how an hour spent outside makes the inside-my-head work of writing seem like not such a big deal.. Critiquing has been like a free workshop on what makes some poems powerful and others ineffective.
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Thanks for sharing here, Violet – love the idea of Poetry at Work Day! And I love the line,
“crackled creations into being” – and, well, all the lines! Happy New Year as you crackle poems into being.
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Thank you so much, Robyn! I know many of you, teachers especially, handle poetry at work practically every day, so the 14th is a really a day we tip our hats to you.
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So many forms and outlets for creativity. This was beautiful. Thanks for sharing it.
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Thanks Donna! My dad was creative, in his own way–this way. The wonderful thing is that now my son is starting to explore his own creativity with wood! So the beat goes on.
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Love the nostalgia of your poem, the “virtuoso of rivets” and “riffs of leather, metal, wood”. Thanks Violet!
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Thank you, Linda! I really enjoyed writing this poem. My dad died quite a few years ago and for some reason I don’t have many sharp memories of him. So when I’ve been able to do something with the ones I have, I count it a real blessing.
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Wonderful, Violet! I love all the great sensory details.
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Thanks Jama! Those visual details inspired me… l seeing flashes of light from his shop window when he was welding, and hearing those whining sounds of grinding metal, the clink, clink of his hammer.
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I love the opening of your poem – and the way yuou used the idea of improvisation. Lovely poem to remember a special father, Violet.
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Thanks Tara. I think his generation improvised out of necessity more than to show off creativity. He sure was a special father!
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I love all the tangible, physical words–rivets, solder, screws, steering shaft, leather, metal, wood. I feel them in my mouth. What a great way to hold his memory.
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Thank you, Liz! “I feel them in my mouth” – ooh I like that description.
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Love this poem, Violet. I especially like the lines:
“Lightning from his welder
like brain synapses
crackled creations into being.”
Shows what a true artist/craftsman your father was. Happy New Year! =)
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Thanks Bridget! Isn’t that what all creativity is… those little lightning connections? Happy New Year to you too 🙂
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Great sounds and visuals in this poem. I too love the “Lightning from his welder/like brain synapses…” Wonderful link of creativity to the mind.
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Thanks Buffy! Now to make those lightning connections with words, right?
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Now that I’ve written a poem that tugs at my MOM memories, you’ve inspired me to write about my dad. I’m off to check your Poetry At Work Day links — thanks!
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Wonderful Mary Lee! Some wise poet advice I read recently spoke of how important it is for writers to revisit their roots, as in childhood memories, locations, and people. I find when I do that, it is cathartic, healing and has a wonderful feeling of rightness to it.
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I can’t add anything more to what has already been said about your very musical poem! Brava! Thanks, too, for the notice of Poetry at Work. I’ll be sure to post a work-related haiku that day.
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Thanks Diane. I love those little post-it haiku that you put on your blog!
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Perfect picture to match your poetry that is beautifully evocative. Filled with imagery, seems like I can touch it! Great poem, Violet. 🙂 Hope you’re having a fabulous New Year.
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“Virtuoso of rivets, solder…” just beautiful! I love the music, and the memories in your poem. Great poem!
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Thanks so much, Myra and Linda! Memory poems can be very satisfying to write.
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Found this tab open in my laptop and realized I never let you how much I enjoyed this! The comparison of your dad’s metalworking to the work of a jazz musician is fresh and enlightening.
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Thank you so much, Michelle!
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