Our Fathers

The Toolmakers,
Gods of the Machine Shop,
Masters of the Milling Machine,
Creators of Products and Parts.
Men with precise hands, patient eyes,
eyes that could visualise the outcome of each plan.
Men who spent their lives in sweat and swarf,
who sacrificed their daylight hours beneath fluorescent suns
to offer us the lives that were not offered them;
to offer us their all
with open
hearts.

If He should come again,
If She should come,
surely there could be no better place of birth
than to be born into the House of the Makers
the Fixers, the Guiders, Providers,
these gods of men,
these Toolmakers.
Our Fathers.

Julie Boden

Commissioned by Poetry on Loan this poem is available on postcards to be found at various arts venues (including local libraries). Julie will be running a series of workshops for Poetry on Loan at Solihull Arts Complex and will be including this poem in her Poetry on Loan readings for Birmingham Book Festival 2009.