LEGACY

1.
Never a straight line, we bend
with the channel of the creek
with or without water, jobs

shouting at every turn, begging
for attention. I love it now,
seasoned and with purpose,

place after place to pour my soul,
to get it right. Chances are
my fence repairs will outlast me,

gates will swing, troughs hold water
out of respect for the ground—
for the cattle and those around me.

2.
Never a straight line, cows cut trails
on perfect grades, leave soft dust
to plod tomorrow without thinking,

make beds in shade for generations
they will never know. In the end
it becomes our nature to make

living easier on the uneven,
on the unpredictable and the harsh
that will eventually absorb us.

Chances are, no one will notice,
no applause for our best effort—
only the knowing a job well done.