The Stone Mason By: Jan Schreiber

1. He builds from local rocks that come to hand—
2. craggy, irregular, or water-worn—
3. and guided by a form he has in mind
4. but nothing like a plan, nothing so stern.
5. Colors and sizes join haphazardly
6. except for some that draw themselves together;
7. some likely stones he has to throw away,
8. a few so small they are not worth the bother.
9. And gradually the thing materializes,
10. assumes the shape he'd say he worked to build
11. although the details harbor some surprises
12. and there are places where he'd say he failed.
13. A century from now all will be changed
14. except the pile of rocks that he arranged.