“Relief Duty”

The watch stood guard o’er golden dawn
to bring in day with solemn song, and then
the guard took up their watch to sing the rain
across the crops and shift the sun on westward
course, ’til dying day relieved their chores.
They then could skulk to some dank hole
and cheer, and hoist their beers so cold. But
it was yet but four O’Clock. The watch caroused
down by the docks, and wouldn’t show for hours
long. The guard stood on, and cursed the watch
and cursed the time it had to tell, until
the watch came on.