After the bloody birthing,

The slap of learning,

The first stirring,

The stone-smile masking,

Where were you?

During the slack-jaw lying,

The marked-me digging,

The wasted booking,

The crouched clerking,

What use were you?

Of a New Year’s meeting,

A biting loving,

A Roman sealing,

The ice advancing,

You had nothing to say.

Amidst the desperate ageing,

The vacant roaming,

My difficulty making,

The useless wishing,

You were entombed.

But in my scattered caring,

My sparse giving,

The rare minding,

In my scantlings of humanity,

I glimpse you.