It was the end of an epic week
We were wrung out from the heat
And the traversing of the entire state of Virginia
Sated on history and local wineries

Stopping to see where the Civil War ended
Appomattox Court House is now just a tiny National Historic Park
Which took no time at all to explore
So we settled in at the B&B
In the room with the funny name
With little to do, and too much time on our hands

Prowling around I found the diploma and the book
Both bearing the name of Havilah Babcock
Oh. Well this bears investigation
Ours was the southern Havilah, University of South Carolina English professor and writer
Not to be confused with the northern Havilah, who founded the Kimberly-Clark Corporation

So when in the Babcock House, in Havilah’s room, you read Havilah Babcock’s book
And it hits breathtakingly hard
Like the first time I read Ada Límon
Where has this been all my life?
I had long decided, that if I ever published my poetry, it should be called “Tales from the Blind”
Because sitting quietly in nature for hours, when I was hunting,
Is what prompted me to start writing again

And here was a kindred spirit
That thought and wrote just like me
I managed to find copies of a few of his books
Long out of print
Now I can sit on my own porch on a sultry evening
And reminisce about Tales of Quails and Appomattox