The Lawn Mower

In this garage, I see friends I
have used for five decades;
The hammer reddened with rust
the screwdriver driven into countless
plywood and doorposts, the chisel
screwing rusty nails into decomposing timber,
and fastened screws in loose rough holes;
the tenor saw biting the tough sides
of planks and abandoning a heap of wood and
sawdust for my naked eye;
and the stubborn tape ruler
measuring wood and the carpenter's
eye for perfection;
they still piously wait for me.

But when I ask him, the deer with his sharp unsmiling teeth
severs the necks of tall grass
that slump
upon their own bodies, leaving for the eye a sea
of headless grass
Of all tools I have used
the lawn mower threatens time and age.

^

Biography

Born in Kom, Cameroon, Emmanuel K. Ngwainmbi (pseud. Sim E. Kombem) earned his doctorate in Communication from Howard University. He's published ten books & numerous literary and scholarly articles and has received awards and critical acclaim for his literary works. "The Lawn Mower" is drawn from the soon-to-be-published book Whispers on my Pillow and War Poems (Halmark Press) which will be available locations: BookSurge.com, BooksurgeDirect.com (wholesale), Barnes and Noble.com, Alibris.com, Bowker's Books in Print and Global Books In Print, Whitaker's of the UK and Central Book House in Europe. The book will also be listed in Booksurge's quarterly catalogs in the US and in Europe