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In situ


Our amateur tree surgery efforts are quite addictive, because it's so utterly satisfying to see the wood pile stack up and know that there will be fires this winter. We are gathering our own comfort and the exercise endorphins give the task some swift returns. We often combine the hedge forages with some coppicing for extra gratification. 












441
Mr climbs the boundary of dry wall
Steadies himself with booted feet
Planted firmly down against granite
Stones, against ungainly trunk of tree

442
Chainsaw rattles. Mr tests the elected angle
It is uncomplicatedly reachable. Serrated
Blade rotates slickly through the branch
Drops it down onto the old buckled roof

443
I drag the cut wood clear
Admire the twist of it
Solid muscular against soft
Textured fuzzes of field grass

444
Tangible overhead, a block
Of solid-blue sky. The branch
Is a compact mass, is weight
Pressed against the ground

445
I trace the strain in my legs
Pushing my feet into the earth
Levering this length of beech
Out of the twists of thorn

446
From weed tangle into open field
The wood is dragged here, where
It will be portioned for the fire
Mr is distracted though, in the hedge

447
So many stray hedge branches
While Mr is in situ here he will just
Zip the saw through a few more
And I will roll them out too

448
Sawdust sprays on a chainsaw wave
Scatters over leaves and lies on dirt
Whorls of flaxy slivers of tree
Released, fly out, pattern down

449
Three more branches fall
Under the notches of sharpened
Blade. Each prize smugly heaved
From the field edge

450
Lines of heavy muscular
Streamlined monsters lie
Prone, like we have been
Hunting great beasts


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Comments

Kwickix said…
Always an element of danger when using a chain saw.
30 January 2012 at 10:00
ウィリアム said…
I like the nouns, verbs and adjectives; they paint the wonderful photos beautifully! :)
30 January 2012 at 11:48
Lisa Southard said…
Thank you ウィリアム :-)
30 January 2012 at 23:35
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