The Wise Woodsman

As It Should Be

There's something about the forest
I love:
its majesty, its strength, its beauty.
But when the trees
are harvested and taken away;
the forest can't help,
but weep.
Not from pain or sadness,
not from worry or malice,
but from inner pride.
For its sacred wood
gives worth;
though it be for fire or beam,
to the Woodsman and the world.
As it should be.
-p.o. martig

Almost Finished

The picture above is of the tenacious woodsman who lovingly used his axe, saw, wedge, and sledgehammer to cut up a logging crew’s unwanted wood pile (feature photo) next to his land.

He worked like a man possessed to keep his treasure from the sawdust mill, 3-4 hours a day for months with no help from family or friends. The excuses flew when he asked: “I don’t have the strength to lift wood”, “I’ve got business obligations”; “I’m sick with something” (never-ending), “My back is a mess”, and “I’ll get back to you”. (Never mind that the woodsman is 73!)

It didn’t matter, he was determined to do it all by himself. The forest was his childhood playground that never went away. He loved the trees, the deer, the ferns, and the memories of gathering kindling and camping with his dad and later with his own family.

Undeterred, the man sawed, chopped, transported, and stacked over 5 cords of wood, enough for years, and was happier and stronger for it. The average cord of wood today is valued between $150 to $400 depending on the type and season. Who’s smiling now, said the Ant to the Grasshopper. (1)

Endurance, goals, hard work, and a desire for accomplishment are the gold standards for success. The Wise Woodsman understood these qualities at a young age and reaped their bounties his whole life.

**Finished

**The Woodsman is my husband, John; anesthesiologist, electrical engineer, tinkerer of wood, father, mentor, and hero. I wrote this post to let him know how very thankful I am for everything he does so beautifully.

(1) Library of Congress/Aesop Fables