On the Roof with Death
When sawdust rolls like marbles under our boots
on the newly sheathed roof three storeys up
we talk of falling. It’s like butter boxes, Dale says.
We could slide real good. Only hurts when you land!
He yells this suddenly
as if to warn the neighbours.
Dale is a journeyman.
I am his apprentice.
You know the people who live for the moment, he says,
laughing. They yell “Whee!” all the way down.
Book Details
Book Title: Rough Ground Revisited
Book Type: Poetry
Published: Halfmoon Bay, BC, Caitlin Press, 2015
ISBN: 13: 978-1927575932
In Print?: Yes
Available From: Your local independent or on-line book dealer or through the publisher, www.caitlin-press.com .
Description: This is a revised and expanded version of Kate's first book of construction poems, Covering Rough Ground, that was published by Polestar in 1991 and that has been out of print for some time. It includes several of the poems from the earlier book, plus many new ones, previously unpublished. They explore the ups and downs (literal and metaphoric) of being one of the first women in the construction trades in Canada.