Mortar

When I was young I helped my dad to build a wall of bricks.
He showed me how to mix the mortar so it rightly sticks.

Start with water, then cement, some sand and then some lime,
roll it in a mixer and remove it when it’s time.

But something he would ask me troubled me both mind and heart:
does it hold the bricks together or keep them apart?

I thought about this riddle as we laid them one by one,
and I could not provide an answer after we were done.

The bricks were stuck together though apart they would remain,
these facts would make me think so hard it almost hurt my brain.

So if you have an answer, please write to let me know,
I’ve tried to solve it all these years with nothing more to show.

Extras: This is a true story. My father was a brick mason and I would work with him as his hoddie. He would tell me stories to pass the time and I would love to listen. He would occasionally ask me riddles and press me for a solution. This was one of our favorites, and we both agreed, in the end, that the real answer had to be “both.” It always gave us a good laugh, and I was afforded the opportunity to share an inside joke with my father.

If you think about this riddle for too long, you may need to read our story titled I Don’t Know for the ultimate answer…