What work is

The poem What Work Is by Philip Levine really caught my attention because it reminds me of the relationship my father and uncle have between each other. The poem to me talks of a brother who tries to convince himself that he is a hard worker, standing in the work line ready to be hired or sent home for the day when in reality it is his brother who is the harder worker. His brother works long night shifts so he can work on things besides a pay job. He makes time for studying a different language, and singing in an opera. I relate that to my dad and uncle by means of my father being the one who actually does all the work. My uncle's working life involves him moving from small job to small job, while my dad has made a career out of his life but is always busy outside of work doing personal projects and making himself happier. At the end of the poem, it talks about the narrator not being able to tell his brother that he loves him, which is the same between my father and uncle. It is a history of tough love between the both of them, and one is never acknowledged by the other for things they achieve. This is a great poem and i related very easily.