An ode to the old discontinued Stanley Powerlock 16’ tape measure.

(A silly poem I actually sent to Stanley tools)

Always ready to give a dimension

with tables and conversions to save aggravation

Lightweight and small it won’t hurt your back

32nds of an inch help keep accurate track

8 foot stand-out and plastic coating thats smooth

the only drawback is its easy to lose. 

For Rich... who asked if I still write.

The pointy end of things you get

with helical blades adjacent

engineering feats that men forget

the humble pencil sharpener

screwed upon a workshop wall

always roughly four feet tall

a handle crank for use by all

the humble pencil sharpener

Self feeding holder so adroit

at gently carving the sharpest point

graphite lubricates its joints 

the humble pencil sharpener

A marker is great and so’s a quill

I type and write with little skill

but there’s a place in the world for this one still 

the humble pencil sharpener