I stand alone and watch
ripples in the steam clouds
spreading far across
their reflections on the surface
of a deep and dreary quarry
where they work more or less
to feed hungry mouths

Each starlight shadow
and every moonlit shelf
holds a broken hearted fellow
in a sullen and hypnotic tone
tasked to fetch and carry
one by one, a ton of stone
all by himself

Was this not where we once
swam as boys and played?
We camped out on pretend hunts
and in the winter fished through ice
In freedom we found our manhood
and lost our childhood twice
even though we delayed

We sold our souls for copper ore
To drink and dance day and night
To play the fool and pay the whore
and ride through town on them steam trains
until the whips of all we owe
stung to remind us now in pain
that our fathers' warnings were right