North & South1946Alone on the railroad trackI walked with pounding heart.
The ties were too close togetheror maybe too far apart.The scenery was impoverished:scrub-pine and oak; beyond
its mingled gray-green foliageI saw the little pondwhere the dirty old hermit lives,lie like an old tear
holding onto its injurieslucidly year after year.The hermit shot off his shot-gunand the tree by his cabin shook.
Over the pond went a rippleThe pet hen went chook-chook."Love should be put into action!"screamed the old hermit.
Across the pond an echotried and tried to confirm it.