Still the grazing kine

So did its sunshine warm my brow

& sure it gleams as lovely now

Tis full as still the grazing kine

Make but sweet music in their noise

The sweetest flowers it owns are mine

Free gifts & so are all its joys 

The trees their friendly arms extend

& bid me welcome to their shade

The old molehills their welcomes lend

As if for rest on purpose made

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The little path winds on & on

While sauntering noiseless oer the leafy ground
The air we breathe seems void of every trace
Of earth & all its trouble & the mind
Yearns for a dwelling in so sweet a place
From troubles noise such stillness seemeth by

Yet still the little path winds on & on
Down hedgerow sides & many a pastoral charm
We soon forget the charm of poesy gone
In the still woodland with its silent balm

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The summer’s voice is still

The autumn's come again


& the clouds descend in rain


& the leaves they are falling from the wood


The summer's voice is still


Save the clacking of the mill


& the lowly muttered thunder of the flood


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By September

How delightfuly pleasant when the cool chilling air


By september is thrown oer the globe


When each morning both hedges and bushes do wear


Instead of their green—a grey robe.


To see the sun rise thro the skirts of the wood


In his mantle so lovley and red


It cheers up my spirits and does me much good


As thro the cold stubbles I tred

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The white-thorn tree

Who loves the white-thorn tree,

And the river running free?

There a maiden stood with me

In  Summer weather.

Near a cottage far from town,

While the sun went brightly down

Oer the meadows green and brown,

We loved together.

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On thy gentle stream

Upon thy winding side wild gwash I lie 

Viewing with curious eye the silver bream 

Taking vaunting springs to trap the thoughtless flye 

That heedless dances on thy gentle stream 

The black snail wakens from the swoons of day 

& from the boughs that nestle by thy side 

The light wing'd moths steal out again to play 

Crossing with hasty wing thy rippling tide

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The nearest way

The passing hours jogd on apace 

& in their progress seemd to say 

‘Haste & gain that destind place 

 Or soon thoult loose the flitting day’ 

 I instantly obeyd their call 

 Nor went to where the foot pad lay 

 But clamberd oer an old rough wall 

 & stole across the nearest way 

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Mist simmers thin

The heavy thick mist hangs over the sun

The grass is all wet wi the dew

I cannot come out to thee Roger till noon

Fear o' spoiling my sealskin shoe

No mists need to tarry my Jenny till noon

The mist simmers thin on the hill

Sun beams getting yellow will master him soon

& ye may walk out if ye will

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The mingling dye

The clouds of purple & of crimson dye

Were huddled up together in a heap

And oer the scented wide worlds edge did lie

Resting as quiet as if lulled to sleep

I gazed upon them with a wishing eye

& longed but vainly for the painters power

To give existence to the mingling dye

& snatch a beauty from an evening hour

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Web is spun

How fine the spider's web is spun

Unnoticed to vulgar eyes

Its silk thread glittering in the sun

Arts bungling vanity defies

Roaming where the dewey field

Neath its morning burthen leans

While its crops my searches shield

Sweet I scent the blossomd beans

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The low of the cow

The Blackbird Has Built In The Pasture Agen

& The Thorn Oer The Pond Shows A Delicate Green
Where I Strolled With Patty Adown In The Glen
& Spent Summer Evenings & Sundays Unseen
How Sweet The Hill Brow
& The Low Of The Cow
& The Sunshine That Gilded The Bushes So Green

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 Photo by my friend #JohnAbbott

The dewey cheek of morning

The red east glows the dewey cheek of morning 

 Has not yet me[t] the suns oerpowering smile 

The dew drop in its beauty still is dawning 

The wet bush we past soon as touchd it woud drop 

& the grass neath our feet was as wet as a mop 

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Photo by my friend #JohnAbbott

Faded colours mournd

The fading Autumn all resighnd
As consious of her dying state
Th’influence of the Sun declind
& hopeless yielded to her fate
The Trees their faded colours mournd
& shepherds with a tearfull eye
Reviewd their changes as they turnd
& thought of winter with a sigh

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The meadow brook

The gipsey down the meadow brook 

 Wi long pole & a reaping hook 

Tyd at its end amid the streams 

That glitters wi the hot sunbeams 

Reaches and cuts the bulrush down 

& hawks them round each neighboring town

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Meek innoscence

Fair emblemn of meek innoscence 

Sweet modest flower with thee 

My Chloes matchles excellence 

Exactly does agree 

& o how charming is her face 

Just like the snowdrop flower 

It gives to every downcast grace 

In love—A double power

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Early photo (1860) by #LadyClementineHarwardine

A scarlet host display

In every place where feathered warblers sing 

Wild flowers in armies come — so beautiful is Spring

The garish Summer comes with many tribes 

Of gay & gaudy flowers in bright array

But the hot sun the cloudy morning bribes

& dries all moisture with his scorching ray

Corn-poppies oft a scarlet host display

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Natures sweetest pledge

The blackbird startles from the homestead hedge,


Raindrops and leaves fall yellow as he springs;


Such images are natures sweetest pledge,


To me there's music in his rustling wings.


‘Prink, prink,’ he cries, and loud the robin sings;


The small hawk like a shot drops from the sky


Close to my feet for mice and creeping things.


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Image by #CarryAkroyd 

Misty morning

Sweet come the misty morning in September

Among the dewy paths 'tis sweet to stray

Greensward or stubbles as I well remember

I have done & the mist it curleth grey

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Love lies bleeding

True love lies bleeding every hour 

Still 'tis heavens eternal flower 

Blooming by the lovers bower 

Eternal love 

Sun's may lower and storms may rise 

Heaven and earth may loose their skies 

Yet naught shall dim in those bright eyes 

That truely love

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Another wonderful photo from #LadyClementiaHarwarden in 1860

Timid hares

One gloomy eve I roamd about

Neath oxeys hazel bowers

While timid hares were daring out

To crop the dewy flowers

& soothing was the scene to me

Right placid was my soul

My breast was calm as summers sea

When waves forget to roll

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Image by #CarryAkroyd

Accursed wealth

Accursed wealth oer bounding human laws
Of every evil thou remains the cause
Victims of want those wretches such as me
Too truly lay their wretchedness to thee
Thou art the bar that keeps from being fed
& thine our loss of labour & of bread
Thou art the cause that levels every tree
& woods bow down to clear a way for thee 

Written by  #JohnClare in 1820, what has changed in 200 years?

Book still available from me £4.00 + P&P.

Glitter like pearls

I walk round the orchard on sweet summer eves
& rub the perfume from the black currant leaves
Which like the geranium when touched leaves a smell
That lads love & sweet briar can hardly excell
& watch the things grow all begemed with the shower
That glitter like pearls in a sunshiny hour

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Sauntering noiseless

So dreamy is the light that dwells around 


& so refreshing is its sombre mood 


We feel at once shut out from sun & sky 


All the deliciousness of solitude 


While sauntering noisless oer the leafy ground

The air we breath seems loosing every trace 


Of earth & all its trouble & the mind


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Loosely flowing

Her hair bound in tortoise or else loosley flowing


(Lo each is a beautiful show)


More blacker than jet the fine ringlets seem glowing


Nay they rival the Micaelmas sloe.


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An early photo (1860) by #ClementinaLadyHawarden of one of her daughters

 

Waking fond desire

Now melancholy autumn comes anew

With showery clouds and fields of wheat tanned brown

Along the meadow banks I peace pursue

And see the wild flowers gleaming up and down

Like sun and light; the ragwort's golden crown

Mirrors like sunshine when sunbeams retire

And silver yarrow: there's the little town

And o'er the meadows gleams that slender spire

Reminding me of one, and waking fond desire

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Artist print by #CarryAkroyd

Like lilies on the lake

Thy face is sweet, thy cares are young

Thy voice is womans lovely tongue

Thy smiles are such as all delight

Thy thoughts are lilys clothed in light

Thy swan like neck, thy swelling breast

Like lilies on the lake at rest

Thou art of all the fairest flower

That blooms amid this earthly bower

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The changing face of heaven

Tis lovley now to turn ones eye  

The changing face of heaven to mind 

 How thin spun clouds glide swiftly bye 

 Wi lurking storms slow movd behind 

 Now suns are clear now clouds prevade 

 Each moment changd & changd again

& first a light & then a shade 

 Swift glooms & brightens oer the plain

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The rosy day

The rosy day was sweet and young,

The clod-brown lark that hail'd the morn
Had just her summer anthem sung,
And trembling dropped in the corn;
The dew-rais'd flower was perk and proud,
The butterfly around it play'd;
The sky's blue clear, save woolly cloud
That pass'd the sun without a shade.

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Twittering swallows

By twittering swallows we percieve

That summers on the point to leave

Who skim the pond & rippling spring

Were once they dipt each sooty wing

& greensward lanes from morn till night

Were once they weeld their circling flight

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So is the life of man

Both milkmaids shouts and herdsmans call
Have vanish'd with the green
The kingcups yellow shades and all
Shall never more be seen

As are the changes of the green
So is the life of man

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Artist Print by my friend #CarryAkroyd