By the brown river, men wedge and push
marble slabs off barges. Harriet explains
how to check for consistent color and signs
of soft spots where the stone could crack.
Edmonia examines a stone about the size of a campfire.
I have orders for marble busts
of Colonel Shaw and one of President Lincoln.
Who would you most like to sculpt?
I don’t know.
Of course you know.
Heroes, friends, maybe even a queen.
Edmonia stoops beside stone
she might know only when it’s broken,
splintering light, casting new shadows.
She can almost hear it breathe.