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Chiselled in Stone
(An opal miner’s 10 commandments)

Never over-value the opinions of other men
Listen to all men
Know the Way of the Wires
Embrace mistakes
Nourish hope
Work the odds (1/33)
Value efficiency
Know your goals
Take manageable risks
Enjoy the process.

Matbbgj

Brother Mat,

Nice wisdom in the poem. And, there's a flexibillity that's implicit in abiding to those commandments that's a nice contrast to the
"Stone" in the title. Never been in an opal mine, only a coal mine once and coal strip-mining areas numerous times. Of course,
those commandments are applicable for all miners, professional or not. There's a classic song about mining and beyond
that comes to mind: "Dark As A Dungeon." Not saying it's relevant to your poem, but there's a similarity in that both speak of
mining, yet also, are more than that.

I like your commandments Mat – and not just for opal miners.

What is the 'Way of the Wires'?

I don't know anything about opal mining; I will check wikipedia. I do think opals are exquisitely beautiful and complex. I used to believe that opals were sometimes called 'moonstones' – a very Mat sounding name – but I've since found out that moonstones are a different, less precious stone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TEAg49F ... re=related
I love it brother Steve!
Thanks,

imaginary friend; "the wires" are used for "divining". Some people use green twigs, generally forked in a "Y" shape. I use any old or new piece of wire I stumble on, steel, copper, bronze...it doesn't seem to matter, they always "work"/react in a magnetic sort of way. They pick up what we call "slips" and faults under the ground, likely places where opal may be found. Of course many people are non-believers with regard to what I term "the way of the wires".
Of course, I can't help myself...I'm a believer!
Farmers use them to divine for water (dousing) in different regions of the world.
Old time opal miners use them to search for "ground" where the opal may be hiding-out, like a lost refugee in its underground, "dark night" (St. Juan de la Cruz).
Perhaps you can intuit the (symbolic) allure of "the divining wires" for this poet?

Mat.