all we earn

 
walked down that hill today  
past the graveyard
toward the sea
all the way down to the place
where we'll dig the big hole
for the best rock on the island  
 
walked all the way down to the edge  
to where that good rock
hard basalt  
comes out from under the earth  
 
that’s the rock we want  
 
old as hell  
hard as hell
volcano-made  
bed rock
for tough country
 
everything feels old here  
even the trees carved  
from something else
stooped low
surrendered  
 
I stood on that rock
turned  
away from the sea
looked back up at the land
while seagulls above  
called unlovely songs  
 
stood and took it all
as much as flesh can
smelled it
salt and earth
a meeting place
 
breathed deep
 
waited
then spoke aloud  
low slow  
tried to make myself heard  
 
asked this country  
to look after my men  
 
promised the sea and the sky  
and those solid basalt bones  
that we will only take what we need  
will only stay as long as that  
asked honest as I could  
 
then stopped talking  
stood still  
listened  
heard nothing  
 
the sea and the sky are unmovable things
 
we will dig  
and we will blast  
put our hearts to it
will rip  
will tear  
 
the sea will not care  
no
the sea will not care
but the rock  
that hard hard ancient rock
will fight
will give us
all the trouble  
we earn