“My mother and I debate:”
The opening line of this poem is deceptive. It seems to suggest that the mother and daughter are debating against each other. In fact, they are both weighing the pros and cons of a single issue. The assertion seems to be suggesting a relationship built of conflict. The reality shows the relationship is quite tight.
“But something brighter than money/moves in our blood–an edge
sharp and quick as a trowel/that wants us to dig and sow.”
The “debate” is over whether to sell the tree for lumber and pay off the mortgage or not. The “something” that is bigger than money is a long familial tradition of working the land as farmers. Chopping down the trees is giving up on it. Allowing it to prosper for another year is an investment in the past as well as the future.
“Month after month, the whip-/crack of the mortgage.”
Both women will certainly be more emotionally satisfied with the decision to not the sell the tree. The final words of the poem do not focus on what has been gained, however. To be subject to the whip has historically been associated with punishment. Thus, the final lingering image of the poem is one in which the decision not to sell the tree for lumber is framed as a mistake in judgment deserving of punishment.
