I worried you would get carpal tunnel or arthritis
in those hands that deftly sliced, diced, chopped,
minced as you poured a chiffonade of vegetables
into your soups..

Or as you carved the tasty beef tenderloin
seasoned just right.

Your garde mange of birds sculpted from apples 
and watermelons scooped into baskets amazed me 
along with your tomato roses.

Saws scraping and crushing ice into fish
or flowers or urns to embellish
buffet tables with your art.

Preparing and filling over 
1,000’s of turkey cavities for
huge Thanksgiving banquets.

Your hands survived just fine.

It was the legs that carried you
for 12 hour shifts of standing and
prepping and creating  meals for
many that became your 
Achilles heel.