left him hunched
a bent man trying to hidethe pain that showed itself
in the creases
at the sides of his eyes.
Life is not kind
to the man who lives by his hands
or the strength of his back.
Physical strength
is finite
like a tank of gas,
the needle ticking
slowly to E,
or a fan belt, maybe,
the stress squealing
in a stretched-out song,
or the knock and ping
that spring from a motor
on its final push.
-- Hank Kalet
