this man and boy / teacher and pupil / hedgerow school / expance of verdant countryside / hills and lanes / man / a stranger / boy lives in our village / spy / that man and / I know that boy / sat on edge of water trough / view up the lane off into ragged moorland / down / valley treetops / village smoke whisps / yes they’ve been meeting here since early summer / that first educational meeting / no last week befor Harvest / tomorrow poor child the boy will come and his teacher will be gone / wait / forlorn weeping twilight snuffs bud flame gone / down Jacob’s Ladder / backdoor parent’s home / youngest of an enormous family / but today teacher’s here / rough dark clothes / long raven hair / face elegant strong / homemade books stored in greatcoat pockets / what you see is this man teaching this boy to read / parents not unaware / do not interfere though their permission has not been asked / Bookman inspires awe and caution fear / boy brings food with him / half loaf / some fruit / smoked fish / man eats only after lesson / point of dignity / seems disciplined and unspontaneous in relations with the boy / boy expects authority / learnt shapes of letters / summer through I written every word I knows / you read it so / learning read and write / today I was showed how to make a book / from leather greatcoat pocket / sheaf of paper / together / folded half / stitched along the crease / red thread / ceremony complete he gave it me