Do not start at the top
With no foundations
For another shattered dream
Built in a rush
One of many
Born from a momentary spark
To lie in tatters
As it tumbled down
During a hurried build
When mistakes were made
And no-one saw

The monument to creativity.

All can see
The fruits of careful labour
With no mistakes made
BLOCK after BLOCK after BLOCK
Then BLOCK after BLOCK after BLOCK.
BLOCK after BLOCK after BLOCK
Then BLOCK after BLOCK after BLOCK.
BLOCK after BLOCK after BLOCK
In even layers
With staggered joints
Placed with special attention
Positioned just so
The slab sitting level
The piles well bedded
With strong foundations
Start at the bottom and work upwards

(c) Tim O’Hare, December 2023

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About this poem: This is another poem that took shape in my head while I was out for a run. It is inspired, at least in part, by the film ‘Locke’ that I watched a few years ago and has stayed with me ever since. The film follows a single character Locke (played by the actor Tom Hardy) as he drives home from work – a building site – the night before a huge delivery of concrete that will form the foundations of the building. Months of planning and preparation have gone into getting the build to this stage and it is Locke’s job to oversee the complex process of the concrete pour. The story takes place almost entirely within Locke’s car and consists of a series of telephone conversations during which events unfold to leave all of his best laid plans in tatters. For while he was focusing all of his attention on the getting the foundations of the building right he neglected to consider those that underpinned his life. It’s a great film and one I often recommend whenever a conversation turns towards the subject of foundations.