cutting wood

he shows me

how to measure the long

piece of wood.

from end to end,

marking

the spot

somewhere along the middle

with a pencil

stripe.

cut there, he says.

hold down the lumber

with your hand.

grip the saw

and let it do the work

for you,

pulling back

and forth.

watch the suds of 

sawdust

fall to the ground. 

go slower at the end.

make a clean cut.

and then,

we'll do it again.