Afternoons work
I like the business of working
With a hand tool that weighs
And feels right to the touch
The heft of a hammer or an axe
A wood handle and sharp edge
That balance in the hands grip
With the job of the day ahead
I hear the buzz of a chain saw
But I prefer the slow rhythm
Of what I can do over hours
That stretch through days’ time
I listen to the buzzard mew
Overhead and the jack ravens
Call of warning as I tread out
Into the orchards quietness
It’s a place I can feel the strain
And the connectedness again
Of mind and body and soul.
