signature

Patrick Friesen

the movement of his hand across paper was not an embellishment but the
   rehearsal of his name
what he wanted to shape was a motion something of the spirit that gave
   decency its depth

a man practices his signature filling scrap paper with his name over and
   over again
a man enters his signature he repeats the rhythm of his hand and the
   sounding of his name

his name written all over the sheet torn from a scribbler like the devotions
   of a pilgrim
what a man has outside of love is the work he has woven to his name the
   honour of his hand

he sat there at the kitchen table with the wealth of his name and the
   certainty of his god
a man belongs on earth with his children a man works his way through
   his name

Poem 1 | Poem 2 | Poem 3 | Poem 4 | Poem 5 | Poem 6

Patrick Friesen's works copyright © to the author.