A Fathers Gift

One day a child will hold these blocks

crafted by hands that held a guilt I will never know

and when they ask about the man who made them

someday they will know as much of the truth of who you are

as any of us can know hiding behind the trauma

but for now they will know of your reverence for nature

and your hands that preserved what they now hold 

hands that could turn dead oak into masterpieces 

hands that turned twisted wood into cherished pieces of beauty

spending himself to carve away the misshapen parts

and in your rest, I hope you can do the same to your worn heart