Steady Metal

The fence hums in morning light,

wires stretched tight against rust and rain.

Galvanized steel dull but defiant,

touched by cold sun and cracked pavement.

It won’t bend easy, won’t give ground,

a stubborn pulse in brittle air,

a rough voice in a town gone soft,

bare metal singing its own hymn.

Each link a promise held in silver,

a grit that doesn’t shine, but stays,

steadfast against weather’s slow cruel bite,

a strength in the quiet ache

that keeps the cold out for a little longer.