Helen Heslop
Dry-stones wallers
Ted, balding, in matching cords, sits beneath
a frizzled birch, back-bone of England and bait bag
to his left. He taps and cracks his mallet head on grey,
pink and green rocks, judging with expert eye
the shapes required to plug, stuff, stopple crannies,
preserve from winter’s breath the wall’s heartings.
If only kinships would mend so well;
his mother-in-law, his eldest son.
If a rounded breg or steepled deck
could patch up feuds, thwart family fights.
Or to be nonchalant like helper, Barry,
hailing stones he splits as darlings or lovelies,
sweet-talking pegs of flint into gaps. Ted sighs,
rises, measures a space with finger and thumb.
“Throw me a breg, that green one.”
Barry throws. Together they work
the wall’s length, checking for depth
round the hogg-hole, Ted on the lee side,
Barry standing up to Force Six.
“Two cobs, a wedge, three chips” -
Stones are pressed in tight as ticks.
The top batters, like a line of soldiers
arms sloped, is set.
The jigsaw is complete.
The men stretch, pat the wall
as they would a cart-horse,
pack their tools,
stride out for home.
Page(s) 28-29
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