Settlers

We were learning How to live Out here Out of nothing.

Our claim On this raw country Was simply having Nowhere else to go.

We found These lands Could destroy The nerves we lived on:

The sick ironic harmonica Playing on the fire at night.

The immensity of those nights.

The roseate Spectacular That is dawn Lengthens into day.

We can see The sun anneal Bird dung On a tin roof.

We can see Dust Pinpoint the air.