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

Tho oer the darksome no[r]thern hill
Old ambushd winter frowning flyes
& faintly drifts his threatnings still
In snowy sleet & blackning skyes
Yet were the willow leaning lyes
& shields beneath the budding flower
Were banks to break the wind arise
Tis sweet to sit & spend an hour

Tho floods of winter bustling fall
Adown the arches bleak & blea
Tho snow storms cloath the mossy wall
& hourly whiten oer the lea
Yet when from clouds the sun is free
& warms the learning bird to sing
Neath sloping bank or sheltering tree
Tis sweet to watch the creeping spring

Tho still so early one may spy
& track her footsteps every hour
The daisey with its golden eye
& primrose bursting into flower

472

& snugly were the thorney bower
Keeps off the nipping frost & wind
Excluding all but sun & shower
Their early vi'lets childern find

Here neath the shelving banks retreat
The horse blob swells its golden ball
Nor fears the ‘lady smocks’ to meet
The snows that round the blossoms fall
Here by the arches ancient wall
The antique eldern buds anew
Again the bull rush sprouting tall
The water wrinkles rippling thro

As springs wan herrald april comes
As natures sleep is nearly past
How sweet to hear the wakening hums
Of aught beside the winter blast
Of featherd minstrels first & last
The robins songs again begun
& clearing the skyes long over cast
Larks rise to hail the peeping sun

473

The stirt'ling pewets as they pass
Scream joyous wizzing over head
Right glad the fields & meadow grass
Will quickly hide their carless shed
The rooks were yonder witchens spread
Quawk clamourous to the springs approach
Here silent from its watery bed
To hail its coming leaps the roach

While stalking oer the fields again
In stript defiance to the storms
The hardy seedsmen spread the grain
& all their hopfull toil performs
In flocks the timid pigeon swarms
For scatterd curnells chance may spare
& as the plough unbeds the worms
The crows & magpyes gather there

Yon bullocks low their liberty
The young grass cropping to their fill
& colts from strawyards neighing free
Springs opening promise joys at will
Along the bank beside the rill
The happy lambkins bleat & run
Then weary neath a sheltering hill
Drop basking in the gleaming sun

474

At distance from the waters edge
On hanging thorn boughs farthest stretch
The more hen 'gins her nest of sedge
Safe from destroying boys to reach
Fen sparrows chirp & flye to fetch
The witherd reed down rustling nigh
& by the sunny side the ditch
Prepare their dwelling warm & dry

Again a storm encroaches round
Thick clouds are dark'ning deep behind
& thro the arches hoarsley sound
The risings of the hollow wind
Springs early hopes seem half resignd
& silent for awhile remain
Till sun beams broken clouds can find
& brighten all to life again

Ere yet a hail stone pattering comes
Or dimps the pool the rainy squall
One hears the mighty murmuring hums
The spirit of the tempest call
Here sheltering neath this ancient wall
I still pursue my musing dreams
& as the hail stones round me fall
I mark their bubbles in the streams

475

Reflection here is warmd to sigh
Tradition gives these brigs renown
Tho heedless time long passd em by
Nor thought em worthy noting down
Here in the mouth of every clown
The roman road familiar sounds
All else with everlasting frown
Oblivions mantling mist surounds

These walls the work of roman hands
How may conjecturing fancys pore
As lonley here one calmly stands
On path that age has trampld oer
The builders names are known no more
No spot on earth their memory wears
& crowds reflecting thus before
Have since found graves as dark as theirs

The storm has ceas'd again the sun
The ague shivering season drys
Short winded march thoult soon be done
Thy fainting tempest milder dyes

476

Soon aprils flowers & dappld skyes
Shall spread a couch for lovley may
Upon whose bosom nature lyes
& smiles his joyous youth away