Handy

Handy

Any one of us could run to Home Depot and 

by day’s end own a tool bag circular saw tape measure 

vice grips Any one of us could drill dry wall or plaster

laser levels plastic tubs of self threaded 

copper plated phillips headed 

screws beep-beep 16 inches more or less 

between the studs Any one of us 

eye protection ear plugs on 

an orange neon neck band Any one 

could minus eighths and sixteenths 

inches from each other could 

cut boards 90 degrees held with clamps

own a bin of clamps 

ocre-soft a room with sawdust 

a stoop a basement a barn a sidewalk 

a driveway an alley assemble a wall 

a cupboard  Any one could wish 

an entire floor above her head

a loft aloft 

slice air in half

crawl a slanted ladder a stair

make a room-box

into a doll house of cubby spots

and sleep nooks and shelf language

Any one has a pencil

a piece of paper

can sketch it

only a fool cannot Only a fool

spends her money her life 

her breath in the box as it is

Only a fool worries 

about the weight of wood

in her little arms and how to make it up

to the top I am kidding A fool knows

what is heavy what is air what

gown's train she cannot carry