man versus nature

all the fences go down.

the posts, the gates, the long
line

of wooden walls
behind the houses.

they dig and break the concrete.
they are out there

an army of men
with shovels and picks

tearing down
then building it all up again.

a new wall goes in
to keep the houses from rolling
down

the hill into
the stream, then into the lake
and onward.

man versus nature,

a vaccine of sorts,
we do
what we can.