Log Jams Happen

It happened in a flash

The grain crunched,

concertinaed into a cram-jammed

throat so tight it jarred me.

Would it happen with a heavyweight?

Some other make?

A bevel up?

York-pitch-frogged version?

Most likely one and maybe not the other

but then no one predicts its

happening in time to change

plane type to avoid it,

would they?

This phenomenon happens once a year

when the knot's so hard at the start

of a plane stroke that the hardness

in its denseness parts the cap iron a thou'

from the cutting iron and can go no further.

The crumple begins like a five-car five-star pile-up

and you know to stop and not force a thing.

No more swipes and no more snipes.

You lift the lever on the lever cap

lift out the cutting iron,

part off the cap iron and there it is,

that dense and shiny, hard knot that started

the jam at the start of the plane stroke.

Bemused by the lot, you replace the parts

and swipe again and you are back in the zone

and the wood is smoothed to perfection.

Remember, life is just like wood!

It comes with knots in it!

If you can't stand the knots,

stay out of the workshop!