Build

Play on precious bits of sand,
and pile them in the bucket
with a shovel
like a little blue pitchfork
keeping the damned at bay.
It's summer, and hot.

This is a child,
and this is the castle he built.
He knows its every wall and tower,
and it will defend him to the end.
The walls are almost high enough
to keep the world away.

Why build anything?
It is not need.
It is not desire.
It is not joy.
It is not memory.
It is not love.

Build to keep brute panic out.
Build to keep from slipping.
Build because you are a building animal.
The child knows this,
and he'll live up to his nature.

(Photo credit: "Sandcastle" from Henry Burrows on Flickr)

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