Changing of the Guard

Standing in water up to their thighs as always
father prying the log with a hunk of two by four
son trying to wrestle the stuck chain saw tongue
out of the oak kerf pinching it tight.
The old man got it up once but no more
they had to change places
stumbling on the bouldered bottom
young arms levered the old oak enough
against waves of nausea the old man wandered
the rest of the day into evening.
this was not the first but the worst.
More and more he seemed to be less and less.