XI. The Well

Farmer Seth Atwood was past eighty when
He tried to sink that deep well by his door,
With only to help him bore and bore.
We laughed, and hoped he'd soon be sane again.
And yet, instead, young went crazy, too,
So that they shipped him to the county farm.
Seth bricked the well-mouth up as tight as glue -
Then hacked an artery in his gnarled left arm.

After the funeral we felt bound to get
Out to that well and rip the bricks away,
But all we saw were iron hand-holds set
Down a black hole deeper than we could say.
And yet we put the bricks back - for we found
The hole too deep for any line to sound.