Published in “Washing Windows 111” by Arlen House, 2023.

In the Weigh-Room an ancient ladder leads
Upwards to a closed trap-door; mended
through the years, on each side
Old holes left over from old nails,
New sections set in, new steps.

Generation after generation
They clambered to the loft, son
Following father, following grandfather,
Deep grooves in the wood marking
Their passage: a monument.

People come to the Watermill,
Restored, rebuilt now – wood, iron, and stone.
The old ladder is a magnet – hands reach out
To touch, smooth the worn steps. Wonder.