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--chosen-work--
2025 Four Chimneys
Often she would say
I know where we are-
we are at four chimneys
yes but this was once the water meadows
when the shoaling Don held up
the vessels plying from the coast
what she saw was that
four chimneys black against
the sky less dark
what she did not see was
swifts that wheeled with martins
in the troubled sky swallows
in spirals over willow trees
What she could not see was flags
that cracked and smacked in factory smoke
in rising breeze
What she never saw was ever changing
landscape in the clouds mystery of a million
awesome stars at fall of night
What she never knew or never said
was how we came to be the way
we were or by what judgement
some were blessed and some denied
What she knew was
for a moment dark was light
we were at four chimneys