The Arborist

A snake charmer stands,
examining coils that drape
from his neck,
looping through both his hands.
When his grip lets them loose,
the serpants will glide to a limb
in the air,
twisting into a noose.

A sailor takes ground
in the nest of his ship, where he'll spy
for the crew,
survey all that's around.
His shipmates are heard
on the deck underneath: working
and looking
up north for a word.

A surgeon begins
to make cuts in limbs splendid,
wounding to heal
that which must be attended.
With careful precision,
his skillful maneuvers introduce
purpose
to every inscision.

A spider takes flight,
soaring down through the sky.
But no, look!
A single strand holds up his plight.
He floats his way through
with an ease that extends when he lands
back on earth.
He has more work to do.

Charming and
spying and
healing and
flying.
The work of an arborist:
much more than climbing.