I don't know what I was thinking when I signed up for that welding class. Now I wonder if I really need to learn to weld in order to build bigger, stronger armatures for my sculptures. They do need to be welded...
I light the torch and the acetylene flame
bursts forth. Adjust it until the red and orange
and yellow feathers dance like a bird in a wind
storm. Add a touch of oxygen and I create a
glowing blue fountain pen at the tip of the
torch and I craft a line of puddles in the steel
plate.
My thumb aches.
I tremble.
I wish this torch had an auto-off feature when I
invariable drop it.
After burning holes through the steel,
creating swaths of iridized blue, I keep
practicing.
I will learn something in this class, if only which
of my classmates will be willing to weld my
joints together in the future.
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