Wood Cutting

Philosophical Vignettes

The axe came down with patient strength,
The master thought of nothing as
The blade drove down into the stump
And cut him out another log.

“Don’t think, and then you’ll hit the mark,”
He told the boy. “Because your mind
Knows many things that you still don’t,
And might not know for still a while.”

Time after time, the axe came down
And never strayed or missed the mark.
The student stood beside the sage—
He watched him, patient, but perplexed.

“Wisdom is everywhere,” explained
The sage, “But if great wisdom is
What you desire, seek out great men—
Ask them about their great mistakes.”

The sage kept chopping wood a while,
Then turned without a word and gave
The curious boy the felling axe,
Then made his way into the woods.

From the Chinese Mountain Man series, part of Modern Dreams.