born by the water
in the city of motors
a shovel in my hands
at play in open fields
in the factory’s smoky shadow

sensing slow death
i dug my way out
saw a life at the end of the tunnel
‘twas a great swapping glow

swapped childhood for manhood
shovel for weapon and badge
swapped coastlines east for west
religions west for east
swapped weather north for south
counties south for north

re-born by the water
on a hill above the bay
shovel in my hands
at play in the garden
in the redwoods’ drippy shadow

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