Father And Daughter Hardware Store Poem by Raj Dronamraju

I'll bet it is her that re-fills and sorts the trays full of nails and screws and tie-clips
I'll bet it is her that make sure the tools, the hammers and such, are where they are supposed to be
I'll bet she has memorized all the prices and does not need to consult the tags

And it was me that needed wire to hang some picture frames
And I was helped by her and it was through thick glasses and with tongue smacking buck teeth that she looked at my money as she made change

And I'll bet it is her father in his early 50's with no wife
who stands at the opposite counter and handles the more complicated technical requests and home repair questions and the bigger ticket items such as screen doors and wooden boards of different sizes
I'll bet he sits in the living room at night alone and feels satisfied thinking of the father/daughter business as a "hardware emporium", as a dynasty