the rusty shears

the kid left three empty beer cans by the aluminum ladder. i pick up the rusty shears. you have to cut the dead wood and the branches that rub together. if you don't, the fruit gets too heavy and the whole tree splits in the summer. it is just wood. i snap off a thick branch near the bottom. it hits the dirt. the neighbor's dog barks at the fence. i light a cigarette. a line of black ants crawls up the stump.