He said his day’s been… rough.
I know what he means.

I thought of sandpaper.
The coarsest, roughest grain,
strips the smooth finish off the surface,
removing the old tarnished look,
exposing the grain underneath.
But we can’t stop there.
Raised grains are still rough,
sensitive to our touch.
The smaller the grain,
the smoother the finish,
until soft as silk,
we are ready to be refinished
into something new.