Hardwearing

Zoom in on the machine weave
Of an ordinary pair
Of off-the-rack dungarees.

The sheer uniformity,
Near perfection’s staggering.
To get something durable

In this world, seek alignment
And waves of interlocking
Repetition. Think chainmail.

Think of the slowed erosion
Of soft sandstone well woven.
Remember the obdurate

Resistance of the faceless,
Marching in lockstep, arms linked.