the story then became like this
he d jumped in off a clydesdale horse
then vanished like eurydice
beneath the sawdust oil & gorse
his friends went looking for him there
sun scorched in their wool knit pants
beneath the rusted excavator
up from high st & the manse
they brought corned beef & bits of soda
wrapped up in a greaseproof square
they brought some hershey s from the soldiers
some d arcy s kept in earthenware
and checked the crushers filled with ashlar
the morris tipper & the track
decided they would jump in also
when they failed to bring him back
and so the parents brought their hammers
bits of sheathing casing nails
and built a mast from railway sleepers
darning suntans for their sails
and built a boat to cross the quarry
diving where their kids went in
and followed them into the hollow
which locals said had no bottom
and so the Mayor dived for the parents
worried for his yearly vote
and so the council braved the currents
for their leader s anecdote
and then the doctors & the soldiers
followed by the entire town
until at last they filled the swimhole
and all of us were underground