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Rules for Stone Walls

Today's poem is Rules for Stone Walls by Betty Culley. It is read by Julia Bouwsma.

Rules for Stone Walls

All rocks fit somewhere.
Place bigger rocks on the bottom.
Frost heaves everything.

Flat rocks work as cappers.
Common fieldstones are never truly flat.
All rocks fit somewhere.

Put rubble in the middle
Of a double-faced wall.
Frost heaves everything.

Shimming is very tempting,
But almost always a bad idea.
All rocks fit somewhere.

A tie stone goes from one side
Of the wall to the other.
Frost heaves everything.

Oblong rocks make good builders.
Big stones that taper, put face out.
All rocks fit somewhere.
Frost heaves everything.