Holding the Wood

Of course there are no chainsaws in a wedding

                but men we choose in summer should be good

for holding onto other ends of wood

set aside to cut to firelength, shedding

chips like hard confetti after freeze.

They also must know how to hone the chain

and cut where we don’t reach to spare us pain

bucking up the butts of tough old trees.

Then we dare to hold our only hands

close by when they saw, as partners should,

knowing we will later walk the wood

with them and talk of planting hardwood stands

for longer, colder winters, once more showing

purpose here—keeping fires going.