Classic Poem

The snow is gone from cottage tops
The thatch moss glows in brighter green
& eves in quick succession drops
Were grinning icicles hath been
Pit patting wi a pleasant noise
In tubs set by the cottage door
& ducks & geese wi happy joys
Douse in the yard pond brimming oer

The sun peeps thro the window pane
Which childern mark wi laughing eye
& in the wet street steal again
To tell each other spring is nigh
& as young hope the past recalls
In playing groups will often draw
Building beside the sunny walls
Their spring-play-huts of sticks or straw

& oft in pleasures dreams they hie
Round homsteads by the village side
Scratting the hedgrow mosses bye
Were painted pooty shells abide
Mistaking oft the ivy spray
For leaves that come wi budding spring
& wondering in their search for play
Why birds delay to build & sing

The milkmaid singing leaves her bed
As glad as happy thoughts can be
While magpies chatter oer her head
As jocund in the change as she
Her cows around the closes stray
Nor lingering wait the foddering boy
Tossing the mollhills in their play
& staring round in frolic joy

Ploughmen go whistling to their toils
& yoke again the rested plough
& mingling oer the mellow soils
Boys shouts & whips are noising now
The shepherd now is often seen
By warm banks oer his hook to bend
Or oer a gate or stile to lean
Chattering to a passing friend

Odd hive bees fancying winter oer
& dreaming in their combs of spring
Creeps on the slab beside their door
& strokes its legs upon its wing
While wild ones half asleep are humming
Round snowdrop bells a feeble note
& pigions coo of summer coming
Picking their feathers on the cote

The barking dogs by lane & wood
Drive sheep afield from foddering ground
& eccho in her summer mood
Briskly mocks the cheery sound
The flocks as from a prison broke
Shake their wet fle[e]ces in the sun
While following fast a misty smoke
Reeks from the moist grass as they run

Nor more behind his masters heels
The dog creeps oer his winter pace
But cocks his tail & oer the fields
Runs many a wild & random chase
Following in spite of chiding calls
The startld cat in harmless glee
Scaring her up the weed green walls
Or mossy mottld apple tree

As crows from morning perches flye
He barks & follows them in vain
Een larks will catch his nimble eye
& off he starts & barks again
Wi breathless haste & blinded guess
Oft following were the hare hath gone
Forgetting in his joys excess
His frolic puppy days are done

The gossips saunter in the sun
As at the spring from door to door
Of matters in the village done
& secret newsings mutterd oer
Young girls when they each other meet
Will stand their tales of love to tell
While going on errands down the street
Or fetching water from the well

A calm of pleasure listens round
& almost whispers winter bye
While fancy dreams of summer sounds
& quiet rapture fills the eye
The sun beams on the hedges lye
The south wind murmurs summer soft
& maids hang out white cloaths to dry
Around the eldern skirted croft

Each barns green thatch reeks in the sun
Its mate the happy sparrow calls
& as nest building spring begun
Peeps in the holes about the walls
The wren a sunny side the stack
Wi short tail ever on the strunt
Cockd gadding up above his back
Again for dancing gnats will hunt

The gladdend swine bolt from the sty
& round the yard in freedom run
Or stretching in their slumbers lye
Beside the cottage in the sun
The young horse whinneys to its mate
& sickens from the threshers door
Rubbing the straw yards banded gate
Longing for freedom on the moor

Hens leave their roosts wi cackling calls
To see the barn door free from snow
& cocks flye up the mossy walls
To clap their spangld wings & crow
About the steeples sunny top
The jackdaw flocks resemble spring
& in the stone archd windows pop
Wi summer noise & wanton wing

The small birds think their wants are oer
To see the snow hills fret again
& from the barns chaff litterd door
Betake them to the greening plain
The woodmans robin startles coy
Nor longer at his elbow comes
To peck wi hungers eager joy
Mong mossy stulps the litterd crumbs

Neath hedge & walls that screen the wind
The gnats for play will flock together
& een poor flyes odd hopes will find
To venture in the mocking weather
From out their hidy holes again
Wi feeble pace they often creep
Along the sun warmd window pane
Like dreaming things that walk in sleep

The mavis thrush wi wild delight
Upon the orchards dripping tree
Mutters to see the day so bright
Spring scraps of young hopes poesy
& oft dame stops her burring wheel
To hear the robins note once more
That tutles while he pecks his meal
From sweet-briar hips beside the door

The hedghog from its hollow root
Sees the wood moss clear of snow
& hunts each hedge for fallen fruit
Crab hip & winter bitten sloe
& oft when checkd by sudden fears
As shepherd dog his haunt espies
He rolls up in a ball of spears
& all his barking rage defies

Thus nature of the spring will dream
While south winds thaw but soon again
Frost breaths upon the stiffening stream
& numbs it into ice — the plain
Soon wears its mourning garb of white
& icicles that fret at noon
Will eke their icy tails at night
Beneath the chilly stars & moon

Nature soon sickens of her joys
& all is sad & dumb again
Save merry shouts of sliding boys
About the frozen furrowd plain
The foddering boy forgets his song
& silent goes wi folded arms
& croodling shepherds bend along
Crouching to the whizzing storms