Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE TWO-MAN SAW, by CHRISTOPHER DARLINGTON MORLEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE TWO-MAN SAW, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: The rocking, ringing steel sings to and fro
Last Line: "the trunk is through. Sam grins. ""you said the truth!"
Alternate Author Name(s): Hall, Galway
Subject(s): Wood


The rocking, ringing steel sings to and fro,
A steady buzz, a whang and rasp and hiss;
The sawdust spurts and makes twin piles below;
Green wood is tough.

The art is chiefly this:
Don't bear too hard, but leave it to the saw,
(Sam holds the other end, and knows the knack);
Pull firmly, but still lightly, on the draw,
But do not push. Your partner takes it back.

Then, when your rhythm's easy, going well,
And back-arm muscles twinge a bit, mayhap,
Swayed in a kind of dogged swoon, you'll smell
That lusty savor of hot sun on sap.
"Well, Sam, your saw, she swings a wicked tooth." . . .
The trunk is through. Sam grins. "You said the truth!"





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