George Schuster
greeted my share of kings and queens
those who star on movie screens
dined with rock stars, heads of state
the notorious and the now quite late
but a face encountered eons ago
with steely eyes I didn’t know
has stuck with me, haunts me still
his rare achievement of iron will
just a kid, I crossed the road
met him there at the end of his life
kindly, willing to the garage he strode
of course he’d sharpen my kid jackknife
he stepped on the metal treadle
the big stone wheel would start to spin
sparks commenced from the metal
fascinated, i would stand and grin
he asked if it was sharp enough
as if i really knew
these fleeting moments our last
i think he probably knew
back across the road,
sharp shiny blade in hand
my mother had her doubts with me,
and the knife
not with the kindly old man
see, he was a master mechanic
in the automobile’s dawning age
and back in nineteen aught eight
he drove onto the world’s biggest stage
around the globe in his Thomas Flyer
he drove with grit and plenty of tires
to Paris–an American Victory
George Schuster set the winning pace
Champion of the World’s Great Race
that’s the story unabridged and whole
simple kindness from a once great soul
a moment in two lifetimes
a sliver of each life
memorable moments shared
with only a simple knife
Copyright © 2013 Brooks Bradbury | BrooksLooks
http://brooksbradbury.com
Photo Credit: Jenn Czapla, 44 East Avenue, Springville, NY
Brooks Bradbury 