In Pahn's Garden

Pahn hears noises outside his barn
Someone is in the garden
He walks out into bright day
and witnesses          a great destruction
The poplars lie prone
Hehrmess stands with his saw
Pahn doesn’t know      if he wanted this
“There is no place to store the wood”
Pahn tells Herhmess

Hehrmess cuts more
                                        rapacious
Pahn says

“these trees are yours                                                                   
but I have trained them”                                       

Hehrmess becomes mad
                                          thrashing about
and Pahn speaks hurriedly
frightened
defending his life with fervent oratory
pleading
reasoning
raising his voice

Hehrmess has                                             
 
          “pragmatized it”
he says                                            

Pahn’s voice has gone hoarse                              

he will start over

                            the years of trying to see

And now they walk together
Pahn and Hehrmess      silently
with ceremony behind the barn                        
                         where Hehrmess buries himself         solemnly

in the vegetable garden