The Monument

ALL the good people of Gull Bay who went
Past Dan Lord’s house saw Dan Lord’s monument,
He fooled the stars that sent a shiftless son,
He got his monument, a shining one.

Half of his house was white as sea gulls’ feathers,
Half of his house was gray of all the weathers,
The paint stopped short in a bright swoop of life
Over the door as though cut by a knife.

That was the bold last signature of Dan,
That was the final flourish of the man,
For death came on him quicker than a laugh
And cut eternity and the house in half.

He fell with his white brush and lay in night,
His face was full of sun and his spilled white,
He went in quickly to the Otherwhere
With strength on him and white paint in his hair.

Thereafter people looking up there knew
A man had worked the last breath that he drew
And had a lazy son to be his heir
Who went on living with his house half bare.