On Building A Stonewalk In November
This river drifts the land,
In the long air of pines
I smell spring.
Down here, don’t wear gloves,
Don’t wear boots with leaks,
Stay working, and of course
Use the flat stones —
All the things
One learns
In a first year —
The boots take awhile, I know.
But come to you water gentle,
Very clear
Draw strong
Carry the river home to bathe.
It is November / wide open / colding
There is ice you shouldn’t trust.
Bob Arnold
_____________
Where Rivers Meet
Mad River Press, 1989
