Stone by stone

you heft this hammer
hammer-forged
it was
and this iron crow-
bar wedged against the lathe the flow
of the blows along its clashing length
to the teeth prizing
these rusted nails
hungry as your hand is strong

and not your hands, ringing air,
nor fiber of long-dead fir-tree
but the make of these tools succeeds
whoever first broke
stone by stone.