The Handshake

Back to the world our hero goes:
from the first moment he returns
to his familiar confines
he knows that his life
will never be the same:
always on the go, always struggling
to get his work done.

Whether it's the completion
of a transaction or the closing of
some deal, you can just sense
that history is going to be made.
Just one look into his eyes
reveals all: that singleness of purpose
which defines the man himself
takes over there & then,
however relentless it might appear.
But to truly know our hero in person,
you have to witness one other aspect
of his at work
& that is the handshake.

This task is not saved for last
because he wants to create a sense
of anxiety & fear in his clientele
nor is it saved for last
just as ornamentation.
In the same way, it isn't saved
for last because it seems like
the thing to do, to make himself
stand out -
the handshake is a notification
which lets others know
about his dedication to his life's work,
about his honesty on the job
(something which, we must admit,
is in short supply these days).

If that's not enough, such a gesture
lets others know that he is for real,
that he can be counted on
when all other alternatives fail.
So once the deal has been done,
the business at hand completed,
there can be no denying
how committed he is to
every detail of his job description.

There can be no denying that
he is the man of our times,
with a singleness of purpose,
a singleness of heart
which defines all that he does,
for now & always.