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
