Mowing

Mowing the grass is a modern chore, often associated with men mowing their suburban lawns. This shows pride of ownership and an adherence to the unspoken rules and order of civilization. The man is mowing circles around trees on a tree farm. The speaker implies that they live in a rural environment where a man living on many acres of land does not necessarily need to obey civilization’s rules. Yet he mows circles around the trees anyway, and the trees do not object. The speaker assumes that he must do it because he “likes” it. It is a form of caretaking and an opportunity to be in nature with the trees and grass. It may also represent a meditative practice for him, the way watching him cut the grass is a meditative practice for the speaker.

The speaker repeats the word circles several times. A circle is a pregnant symbol, a shape that denotes order. Mowing in circles creates a visible border around each tree, implying separation, ownership and civilization. Circling the trees is an act of caretaking, but it is also an act of ownership and surveyance. To encircle someone with your arms is endearing. To encircle an enemy is an act of aggression.