A Funeral

​In the twilight a church bell 
tolls for the neighbor’s son.

Nearby a weathered shed, 
a broken farmer unable 
to speak of grief. 

Woodsmoke, heat, glowing coals.
Hammer and tongs, and despair. 

Plowshares must be repaired before spring,
a father’s anguish in each blow.

The hammer and steel ring.

Published in The Raven Review, April 13, 2020