The Woodcarver

In the Forest, I stood straight and tall; King of all I did survey; Achoring soil;cleansing air;giving shade; And doing other good works every day. Ho! Yonder comes the Woodworker! Now He has selected me! When He grabbed His mighty saw and brought me down, I wondered what I could be! Ouch! There goes a huge limb; Another; then one more. Things I had grown attached to Lay on the Forest floor. Next came the peeling spud, To trim off all my bark, With it's pitfalls and imperfections. They piled it high, and burned it starting with a single spark. So now I'm standing naked; As open as I can be! When the Woodcarver looks me over, What does He really see? Now the work begins in ernest, With saw, and chisel and rasp, To make me as smooth as possible. T'is not an easy task! With His pencil and His ruler, He lays out His grand design. Soon the chips begin a'flying But He stays within the lines. First, chisel, rasp,sand,then file. Then repeat the routine once more But I'm being molded all the while, As the shavings pile up on the workroom floor. With tender patience, He continues at His task. His tools get ever finer, as He works along. People often stare at me and ask, "Oh my, what will this become?" Fiinally, one day He lays down His tools And stands back,with a smile and a tear. No, His labor wasn't easy. He had toiled for many years. Now He's taking me upstairs- To be a permanent fixture in His home. At last, the project is completed. I hear you ask,"What is this now , that all the work is done?" He tenderly replies," An image of My Son" Charlie Pelota HSLP Dec 1, 2001