Yale Daily News

Updated: Friday, November 21, 2008 at 11:18pm

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Poem - Building a Monument

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Published Friday, November 2, 2007

What he heard in the old age

What he said to the long flat stones


What he heard in the old age

Reemerged, throwing coins

Against the walls


Yelling for marble and slate

Hammers and workmen and mules

Fire extinguishers beehives magazines

Pain killers and guns


These we brought, seeing his face

Already writing What he heard

in the old age killed and ate him.

Going too fast and

Scratching up the surfaces


We thought we had it cornered

Have him bathed and brought to my chambers

We thought if just a little grows back

Children rolling out of the water

We asked What is it exactly, the old age?

Herd of cattle, bucket of wheat, mist


What we saw in the daylight

When we discovered it was night before


Old men running forward, running back.