by Phil Sultz
His roofer hands are like
his fathers, over-sized for
his size, like the old coat
his older brother out-grew
and he came to wear. Wash
with industrial soap, the
hands are never clean.
Tar lines in the skin, under
the nails, make the fingers
look like wooden shapes,
and all the nicks and cuts
are in the grain.
Other work by Phil Sultz: