1. I toiled with my nails and wielded my pickaxe
Only to meet an obstinate, smooth boulder

2. It turned its face when I came for my need
And hung its head until I said, “It’s dead, or nearly so”

3. I was ready to eulogize it when I saw it
Transcending mortal silence, until it sighed

4. I said, “It’s alright, I won’t return”
Whereupon the reptiles spawned over its smooth surface