Sharpening Time
By Benjamin Daniel Lukey
Sharpening Time
How good it is to have my knife with me
When there are packages to open up,
Or kindling to split, or lines to trim!
And yes, of course, if worse should come to worst,
My knife may be my last line of defense.
A blade is good to have in peace or war.
You may have heard that Jesus told his men
To sell their cloaks, if need be, and buy swords.
I like to think he’d like this knife of mine.
Unfortunately, wise old Solomon,
Outspoken as he was against dull blades,
Would not approve of this: the sorry state
That I’ve allowed the edge to fall into.
It’s long past time to get the file and stones.
“As iron sharpens iron,” so the file
Will strip away the steel and shape an edge
That’s fit to cut a rope, but not to shave.
A half-hour with the stones will do the rest.
I pray to God that I will never need
To use this blade for anything but work,
But I will sleep a little better when
I know my knife is sharp enough for war.
Benjamin Daniel Lukey lives near Monroe, North Carolina. He teaches high school English classes whenever he is not fishing or writing poetry. His new collection, What We Leave, is available now in paperback or on your Kindle device.
Featured in New Lyre Magazine - Fall 2024
