Golden groves

The new spring grass was high
The new pinks nest was seen
Where little padded lanes went bye
In hedges warm & green

When the golden evening came
& the tree tops like a flame
Glittered on the gazing eye
Like golden groves in a golden sky

The shepherd seeks the field
Where the awthorn hedges shield
The lane way to the open plain
& sets his fold of trays again

Follow me for daily John Clare postings

#poetry #environment 

#honesty

Comments welcome below

Bonny & stout

Bonny & stout and brown without a hat
She frowns offended when they call her fat
Yet fat she is the merriest in the place
& all can know she wears a pretty face
But still she never heeds what praise can say
But does the work & oft runs out to play
To run about the yard & ramp & noise
& spring the mop upon the servant boys
When old hens noise & cackle every where
She hurries eager if the eggs are dear
& runs to seek them when they lay away
To get them ready for the market day
She gambols with the men & laughs aloud
& only quarrels when they call her proud

Follow me for daily John Clare postings

#poetry #environment 

#honesty

Comments welcome below

The timid hare

The timid hare seems half its fears to lose
Crouching & sleeping neath its grassy lair
& scarcely startles though the shepherd goes
Close by its home & dogs are barking there
The wild colt only turns around to stare
At passer by then knaps his hide again
& moody crows beside the road forbear
To fly though pelted by the passing swain
Thus day seems turned to night & tries to wake in vain

Follow me for daily John Clare postings

#poetry #environment 

#honesty

Image by my friend Carry Akroyd

Comments welcome below

The still water

Ive often gazed with pleasure by the edge

Of the old meadow lake floodwashed and crookd 

The water-rat slow rustling in the sedge

The fish-ring wavering in the clear Ive looked

In rapture on the mellow summer shine

Of the still water gleaming in the sun

Just wrinkled by the plash of quiet kine

Who knee-deep in the flags would drink—and done

Follow me for daily John Clare postings

#poetry #environment 

#honesty

Comments welcome below

Hopes

Hopes sun shines sweet but who of hopes are proud

To see how soon it meeteth with a cloud

How many hopes & memorys went with thee

That forwerd looked to better destiny

Song seems not worth the muses care

Unless to grace it womans love be there

& fame is but a shadow crowned with bays

Without the cheering sun of womans grace

When thy young bosom at the tales it heard

Heavd up & panted like a timid bird

Thy splendid beauty blushed upon the sight

Like sudden frenzy of unlooked for flight

Thou haven of my trouble when I see
That lovely face the show is past with me

Follow me for daily John Clare postings

#poetry #environment 

#honesty

Comments welcome below

The young brood

Among the orchard weeds from every search
Snugly & sure the old hens nest is made
Who cackles every morning from her perch
To tell the servant girl new eggs are laid
Who lays her washing by & far & near
Goes seeking all about from day to day
& stung with nettles tramples everywhere
But still the cackling pullet lays away
The boy on Sundays goes the stack to pull
In hopes to find her there but naught is seen
& takes his hat & thinks to find it full
Shes laid so long so many might have been
But naught is found & all is given o'er
Till the young brood come chirping to the door

Follow me for daily John Clare postings

#poetry #environment 

#honesty

Comments welcome below

Dank mists

Green fields no more the summer views

All sickened into ripened hues

Of brown & grey & darksome glooms

That mark the path where autumn comes

& in each woodlands buried way

The dewdrop lives for half the day

Dank mists oft creep 'twixt earth and sky

& dreaming dim the mornings eye

Follow me for daily John Clare postings

#poetry #environment 

#honesty

Comments welcome below