The statecraft moves in quiet turns: A traveler home from desert sand, Where ancient Nile and summit burns, Proposing peace across the land. Northward, the pipes of winter gleam, Forged across a border river, Where commerce feeds a steady stream And cold winds make the timber shiver. Yet shadows fall on factory glass, Where silicon and sunlight strive, As quiet mandates come to pass To keep the cooling trade alive. The ledger waits for patient gold, While cautious bidders measure ground, Watching the market's plot unfold Without a boast, without a sound. Beyond the halls where policies steer, The earth gives way beneath the rain; High in the pass, the rocks draw near, And rivers swell across the plain. Hands reach through mud to light the wire, While watchful eyes survey the grain, Holding the line against the mire Until the fields turn clear again.
