A Man Walking

there was a man who walked on stone
till the cold seeped into his hard heelbones
he changed his pace and walked on sand
but the lack of footholds disturbed his mind
he slept, curled into himself

now he walks on a field of frost
but the sun comes up and his tracks are lost
he scatters signs to mark where he's been
the wind dissolves them all again
and he goes down into sleep

he came to a path of soft red clay
because of the colour he turned away
into a field of new-ploughed earth
where he lay face-down and discovered his birth
sleeping, curled in himself