I examined the stone before me, pure and rich, untainted
Alert for my hand to shape and chisel according to my predesign

In it I saw the final plan, an artistry to craft and devise
Evident, like a glow from within and it was my task to free it

So I lifted my tool and without regard to the mineral itself
Hammered and shaped with carbon tipped edges

but then I noticed

That the stone had texture and grain and a structure to itself
That it resisted and acquiesced and in turn wanted a say in my carving

So I adapted my swings and tapped in ways not first anticipated
To favor the stone, to collude in its shaping

And after the work was completed, it was not as I had imagined
Yet was better for my accommodation