A Shaker Chair Maker Speaks

It takes just the right pressure, the craftsman explains.
Enough to remove just the slightest layer of wood,
thin slivers that curl as they fall.

The object is to create the perfect thickness,
whether a seat or a leg,
the aim is the same, to create beauty

while leaving strength.
So in the end, what you remove
is as important as what you keep.

About this poem

A poem about furniture, and life.

Tom