The early poems of John Clare :: :: University of Virginia Library

The sinken sun is takin leave
& sweetly gilds the edge of eve
While purple [clouds] of deepening dye
Huddling hang the western skye
Crows crowd quaking oever head
Hastening to the woods to bed
Cooing sits the lonly dove
Calling home her abscent love
Kirchip Kirchip mong the wheat
Partridge distant partridge greet

Beckening call to those that roam
Guiding the squandering covey home
Swallows check their rambling flight
& twittering on the chimney light
Round the pond the martins flirt
Their snowy breasts bedawbd in dirt
While the mason neath the slates
Each morter bearing bird awaits
Untaught by art each labouring spouse
Curious daubs his hanging house
Bats flit by in hood & cowl
Thro the barn hole pops the owl
From the hedge the beetles boom
Heedless buz & drousy hum
Haunting every bushy place
Flopping in the labourers face
Now the snail has made his ring
& the moth with snowy wing
Fluttering plays from bent [to bent]
Bending down with dews besprent
Circles round in winding whirls,
Through sweet evening's sprinkled pearls,
On each nodding rush besprent;
Dancing on from bent to bent:
Then on resting branches hing
Stren[g]th to ferry oer the spring
Playful still his hours to keep,
Till his time has come to sleep;
In tall grass, by fountain head,
Weary then he drops to bed.
From the hay cocks moistend heaps
Frogs now take their Vaunting leaps

& along the shaven mead
Quickly travelling the[y] proceed
Flying from their speckled sides
Dewdrops bounce as grass divides
Now the blue fog creeps along,
And the bird's forgot his song:
Flowrets sleeps within their hoods
Daisys button into buds
From soiling dew the butter cup
Shuts his golden jewels up
& the Rose & wood bine they
Wait again the smiles of day
Neath the willows wavy boughs
Nelly singing milks her cows
While the streamlet bubling bye
Joins in murmuring melody

Now the hedger hides his bill
& with his faggot climbs the hill
Driver Giles wi rumbling joll
& blind ball jostles home the roll
Whilom Ralph for doll to wait
Lolls him oer the pasture gate
Swains to fold their sheep begin
Dogs bark loud to drive em in
Plough men from their furrowy seams
Loose the weary fainting team

Ball wi cirging lashes weald
Still so slow to drive afield
Eager blundering from the plough
Wants no wip to drive him now
At the stable door he stands
Looking round for friendly hands
To loose the door its fastening pin
Ungear him now & let him in
Round the Yard a thousand ways
The beest in expectation gaze
Tugging at the loads of hay
As passing fotherers hugs away
& hogs wi grumbling deafening noise
Bother round the server boys
& all around a motly troop
Anxious claim their suppering up
From the rest a blest release
Gabbling goes the fighting geese
Waddling homward to their bed
In their warm straw litterd shed
Nighted by unseen delay
Poking hens tha[t] loose their way
Now within the hovel flies
Slumbering there [the foxes prize]
Now the cat has ta'en her seat,
With her tail curl'd round her feet;
Patiently she sits to watch
Sparrows fighting on the thatch
Dogs lick their lips & wag their tails
When doll brings in the milking pails

With stroaks & pats their welcomd in
& they with looking thanks begin
She dips the milk pail brimming oer
& hides the dish behind the door

Prone to mischief boys are met
Gen the heaves the ladders set
Sly they climb & softly tread
To catch the sparrow on his bed
& kill em O in cruel pride
Knocking gen the ladderside
Cursd barbarions pass me by
Come not turks my cottage nigh
Sure my sparrows are my own
Let ye then my birds alone
Sparrows come from foes severe
Fearless come yere welcome here
My heart yearns for fates like thine
A sparrows lifes as sweet as mine
To my cottage then resort
Much I love your chirping note
Wi my own hands to form a nest
Ill gi ye shelter peace & rest
Oh quick desert each pilfering boy
Ere they your little life destroy
O woud they meet some mysery
Some foe as bad as they're to thee
Shoud rogues disturb their waking dream
How hard how cruel woud it seem
Forcd from theer beds their rest resign
& take their lives as they do thine
What pains woud rack those hearts forlorn
That now'd be laughing them to scorn

Trifling are the deed[s] ye do
Grait the pains ye undergo
Cruel man woud Justice serve
Their crueltys as they deserve
& justest punishment pursue
& do as they to others do
Ye mourning chirpers fluttering here
They woud no doubt be less severe
Tho ye pluck the farmer[s] wheat
Hunger forces all to eat
Foolhardy clown neer grudg[e] the wheat
Which hunger forces them to eat
Your blinded eyes worst foes to you
Neer see th[e] good which sparrows do
Did not the sparrows watching round
Pick up the inscet from your grounds
Did not they tend your rising grain
You then might sow—to reap in vain
Thus providence when understood
Her end & aim is doing good
Sends nothing here without its use
Which Ign'rance loads with its abuse
Thus fools despise the blessing sent
& mocks the givers good intent
O god let me the best pursue
As Id have other[s] do to me
Let me the same to others do
& learn at least Humanity

Dark & darker glooms the sky
Sleep gins close the labourers eye

Dobson on his greensward seat
Where neighbours often neighbour meet
Of c[r]ops to talk & work in hand
& battle News from foreign land
His last wift hes puffing out
& Judie putting to the rout
Who gossiping takes great delight
To shool her nitting out at night
Jingling newsing bout the town
Spite o dobs disliking frown
And many a thing, her evil eye
Can see they don't come honest by.
Chattering at her neighbours door
The summons warns her to give oer
Prepar'd to start, she soodles home,
Her knitting twirling o'er her thumb,
Leaveing th'unfinishd tale in pain
Soon as evening comes again
Wi Apron folded oeer her arms
The tale so fraught wi lieings charms
So loath to leave afraid to stay
She bawls her story all the way

And in the cottage gangs with dread,
To meet old Dobson's timely frown,
Who grumbling sits, prepar'd for bed,
While she stands chelping 'bout the town.

Night winds now on sutty wings
In the cotters chimney sings
Sweet I raise my drowsy head
Thoughtful stretching on my bed
Listning to their ushering charms
That shakes the Elm trees mossy arms
Yet still I love my lonley watch to keep
While all the drowsy world are lost in sleep
In soft Slumbers till they stronger creep
Then rockd by winds I fall to sleep