well
you see
this
this here
he grasped the young shoot
firmly
in a gnarled left hand
this here
is nature
he used a quiet voice
calm
as though
speaking to cows
without wishing
to disturb them
just before the milking
his right hand
held a wickedly sharp
and relatively sterile
pruning knife
a deft movement
part wrist-twist
part slice
and he had removed
the bulk of the growth
another practiced movement
and he had established
receiving notches
in the root stock
that remained
while this
he displayed
a short stick
slender
but matching the thickness
of the root stock
notch
for notch
this
he said again
as he slathered the wounded wood
with his own patent
slather
of both
nutrition and protection
is culture
and it will grow
exactly
the fruit
that I want
he wrapped the treated wound
with a generous quantity
of grafting tape
my culture
he laughed
and went on
to perform
the next graft
on the next tree
~