Today, I used the reciprocating saw
to chop up a dry pine limb
I had pruned with a rusty pole saw
the weekend before last

Afterwards, I made a fire in the yard
and scratched behind my dog’s ears
as I fed small logs into the crackling flames,
both of us jumping at the POP!

from the rapidly expanding pine sap
forcing apart a log from the inside.
And I thought about how lovely
it would be to share this moment
with my son