Turning Backs

Indifference is the hardest blow It is the wind and icy snow That falls on green shoots as they grow In winter when the spring's too slow Indifference is the coldest hand It is the wave that clears the sand Of castles built by baby hands Before the gulls come in to land Indifference is the hardest ground It is the stony silent sound Of plainsong echoing unfound Until the voices have left town