The Pond Builder
A legacy is
wood ducks, willows, and bubba,
a giant beast who boys tried
to catch fishing on the
red clay core, clay stripped and packed
tight by some man on a dozer.
He laid this rusted riser,
checking heights with transit
and rod. He closed the valve
waited for rain and hoped to God
the pond would hold—maybe
for ducks and boys, but mostly
for his name among
those who build
and understand what holds water.
Some Farm Ponds We Built When I Worked for Soil and Water Conservation










