background image
203
One for the laments our time begets:
where I grew up the October moon
used to rise huge from behind
the Arms boys' paintless barn with its gambrel
roof and rooster vane, on the round hill
across the draw two farms away --
fi t for a thirties postcard photograph.
Both Arms boys are dead. The barn got torn down
and its weather-silvered boards hauled off for use
in bars, barbecue joints and such -- as for
the round hill -- the 'dozers fl attened it
for fi ll. What the moon rises on over there
tonight is not worth glancing toward.