Treetop Cutter
Only a sober guy
has the courage
to trim a palm tree,
and scoot up a skinny stem,
in a loose-fitting harness,
pulled from a rope by another man.
The universe speaks in tongues.
Down below, a guy yells in Spanish
as the tree trimmer clips the dried fronds
before the Santa Ana winds
set them afire.
The tree trimmer pulls the rope
on his chainsaw,
and the fronds float
to the ground like a feather.
No safety net
to buffer their fall.
The tree trimmer works fast
because the sun shines hot,
no time to daydream,
or think about what’s wrong
with the world–
or contemplate the next meal.
.
Stink Eye Magazine 