Chopping wood
the short swing works best
maul lifted to eye level, aim,
quick arc
and oak quarter splits to eighths
red raw wood breathes out
a sweet nutty scent
fresh resin.
Later, swim off the sweat
in cool Santa Ynez river
pool
cloaked below the surface
turtles poke noses into the air
paddle away and hide
if I am walking near.
Feed wilted carrots and shrunken apples
to mules
the Forest Service
corrals behind our cabin.
We name them Buckeye, Greedy, Mule.
Collect acorns
toyon berries
white sage
for our mantle.
Summer night freezes
in the Paradise Canyon.
We pull
the futon close
to the black iron stove,
feed it split oak
and I kiss your belly
as our sweat begins to run.
for dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night
Episode 7 of the PoJo Show — a podcast mixing poetry, spoken word, music, and sound — is now up on the Sound Files page and on my YouTube channel. This episode is called “Beyond & Back: Punk Poetry featuring Exene Cervenka
Jedediah Smith 
Where is Paradise? Good question Jedediah – I guess we all have our own – but you have certainly conjured a pretty rich and persuasive one here. A lovely read – thank you…
Thanks for reading!
The imagery in this alone, my God, it is expansively beautiful. You create a world in your words, I can tell. The meter and figurative language is brilliant, and I just loved these lines the most:
“turtles poke noses into the air
paddle away and hide
if I am walking near.
Feed wilted carrots and shrunken apples
to mules…”
I also adore the formatting. It allows the poem to become its own, and it’s fun to read the text as such. Such brilliant penning here. Your work is amazing and rich.
Very gratifying to hear. Thanks so much for the supportive comments.
Love how the wood make you sweat twice. For a moment I thought you were kissing the hot stove belly… they I realized it was the hot mama’s belly instead!!
Great poem!
Dwight
the stove would have been a hot kiss indeed
Ha ha, I guess so!
I loved this, such a pleasant read, the words seem to come out so easily, and yet it is the light tone that adds depth to the story, the staggered structure that gives it clarity. Well composed, ~Jason
Thanks very much
Nicely done, Jedediah! I like the word-choice used to convey the sounds of wood-chopping and the appeal to the olfactory senses in ‘red raw wood breathes out / a sweet nutty scent’, which took me back to yesterday when I spent a while stacking logs. I also enjoyed the turtles – we don’t get them here. I love the ending with the cosy futon by the black iron stove – I look forward to lighting ours.
Glad it all connected with you. It’s a life in the past for me since moving away from that cabin. Hope someday to live in another place like it.
This is an immensely satisfying write!
Thanks!
I really like the lifestyle you’re describing here. Nicely done, Jedediah!
Thanks! I loved it while it lasted.
You’re welcome.
This sounds like a perfect place to be… I do love to chop my own wood and your description including the scent is perfect.
This sounds like a perfect place to be… I do love to chop my own wood and your description including the scent is perfect.
Thanks, wish I were there now.