Friend not inanimate — though stocks and stones
There are, and many formed in flesh and bones.
Thou own a language by which hearts are stirred
Deeper than by a feeling clothed in word,
Thine spoke a feeling known in every tongue,
Language of pity and the force of wrong.
What cant assumes, what hypocrites may dare,
Speaks home to truth and shows it what they are.
I see a picture that thy fate displays
And learn a lesson from thy destiny;
Self interest saw thee stand in freedoms ways -
So thy old shadow must a tyrant be.
Thoust heard the knave, abusing those in power,
Bawl freedom loud and then oppress the free
(lines 29-42)
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1 comment:
Stanley Butler has put a number of John Clare poems to music and is looking to shre them with you and would like feedback. The pieces are To Mary and Summer is Risen. They can be foun on myspace music under stanley butler (lower case- as there are two of us. Many thanks stan.
stanleybutler@eircom.net
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