nathaniel at eutaw springs

the straw hefted, said
general, and it hurt
the backs of my men-

at eutaw the streams were so much cooler,
and the horses drank before
they would sweat the last ruff of bone
and fur into the ground,
and wheat would grow-

so the wheat wreathed for christmas time
and adorned the great planters doorframes-
it was the one national commodity,
made of the wheat-

while flies drew about the indigo farms-

and said general
it hurt the shoulders
of my men carrying the horses-

everything was splendor at dawn
the ribbed houses lying among
the wounded animals an opportunistic bird-

noone else was singing, it decided-

and nathaniel genuflected
did not, he, nathaniel decided-
the bounding wheat were
for bricks-

yes nathaniel bricks without straw it hurts the backs of your men
and their proud sweating horses

eutaw is splendid by dawn