Gone to the wasteland

the jobbing carpenter

with his bag of tools:

hammer chisels saw and rules,

gone too the roll-your-own

flat cap leather shoes

A to Z list of names

gone up in flames. 

 

Instead a man in an unmarked van

trousers with velcro panels

power tools the smell of pizza

mobile phone with battery on charge

prey to thieves always at large.

 

The smells have changed

no more BO, animal glue

but these tools have survived

to be handed down or bought at fairs,

of historic interest to me and you.