 | The Poems of John Clare |  |
305
PASTORAL LIBERTY
Oh, for the unshackled mood as free as air,And pleasure wild as birds upon the wing,
The unwronged impulse won from seasons fair
Like birds' perennial travels with the spring!
Come, peace and joy, the unworn path to trace,
Crossing ling-heaths and hazel-crowded glen,
Where health salutes me with its ruddy face
And joy breathes freely from the strife of men.
Oh, lead me anywhere but in the crowd!
On some lone island rather would I be
Than in the world, worn knowledge noising loud,
Wealth gathering up and losing; leave with me
Calm joy and humble hope from quiet won,
To live in peace unhurt and hurting none.
| The Poems of John Clare | |