sweet cotton candy faireblonde cloud tiptoed up to him as he laid in a hot bubble bath she drew for him

not since he was a babe had anyone drawn a bath for him 

he didnt knowdidnt care why she chose to pamper him 

                                                         she wouldnt take No anhe tried several times to dissuade her 

it was a raw Fall day 

                       the trees refused to let their leaves fall they were warmer dressed   trees arent stupid

what did that say about him

what it said was that he said hed stop on the weekend and split wood for her

he was stopped at a STOP sign and looking over into her backyard  he watched a comedy – he thought it was comic she was frustrated – he watched her try to wield an axe split wood

proceeding through the STOP he pulled his stationwagon over to the curb parked it and walked back to her 

                                                                                                                 Excuse me he said after she suffered another glancing blow

Excuse me

she turned letting the axehead downlaying it on the grass its handle leaning against her crotch she wore a workskirt

she was latheredher complexion flushed

she was breathless

he filled the in-between of her breaths 

                                         I believe that axe is getting the best of you

panting Yes,   I was just   getting started.   I thought it’d    be easier than   this.    More romantic,   too.

Heats romantic chopping wood warms ya twice its said I donknow who its is though it makes sense

Yes.   I’ve heard that   too.

If your needs not immediate I could stop this Sunday an chop up wha wood yaneed  Just give me an idea wha yaneed

No, thank you,   that’s not    necessary.

Im not takin No wont cost ya a penny Havent had an axe in my hands in a while an it would let me play out some awfully nice memories 

                          Please

A man stops,   unsolicited,   asks if he could   please,   please chop wood   for me.   I see   the humor in your   face.   Thank you   for not laughing at    me.

Ill wait until I get in the car he cracked a smile 

                                                   After lunch Sunday

Okay.   Yes, thank you.   That would work out   well for me.   Thank   you.

Ill assume youll have caught your breath by then 

                                                    he smiled larger

You said you’d   wait   until you got into    the car.

I said Id laugh in the car 

                          Names Joe

Joe.   I’m Penelope.

Pleasure to meet ya Penelope Sunday past noon Seeya then

 

an unexpected Alberta clipper stomped in overnight Saturday

good thing chopping wood would heat him

he spread his fingerspounded them between each other so the gloves fix tight to his hands

he heard the wind whip his car the radio antenna jiggling madly

through his sideview mirror he saw hedges at the back of her property they would provide some windbreak

Lets get this party started he said out loud

from the tailend he grabbed two freshhoned axes hand axe hickoryhandled maul that was his grandfathers a five-pound steel wedge

going through the whitepicket fencegate he saw her standing at the back door  she was shaking her head No

he nodded Yes and smiled large

by the backdoor he saw she built a rack to stack wood 

                                                          he pointed to it and gave her a thumbs up

he went at the wood

 

twoplus hours later he filled the rack and placed wood in the garage near the door between some orphan eight-eight-sixteen concrete blocks 

                         he thought thatd keep her for a couple months

A whisky with your bath?

I wouldnt say No 

                        seems they were making a relationship based on Nos 

        

early morningstill dark dream,  SunnyDay,  30  5. 21

1216,  SunnyDay,  30  5. 21