Coming Down

With every throw of my hammer
Particles of the past
Sprayed sideways
As the concrete gives way
Into big clumps
And little shards
Of sharp and angular pieces

Sometimes needing nudging
With a cold chisel
Faster and smaller blows
To the dented and rounded steel
Being careful not to hit my hand
Choking up to ease the leverage
To ease the burning in my arm

Exposed rocks now loosened
Tapped out of their resting spots
And extracted like a tooth
From the wall as it comes down
Piece by piece
Clump by clump
Burning swing by burning swing

​I’ve made the decision that
This wall is coming down
Deconstruction more difficult
Than construction
The sweat and time flowing
I wonder why did they
Put it here in the first place.