Poem by William Barnes

First Collection. Sundry Pieces. The Guide Post

Why thik wold post so long kept out,
Upon the knap, his eärms astrout,
A-zendèn on the weary veet
By where the dree cross roads do meet;
An’ I’ve a-come so much thik woy,
Wi’ happy heart, a man or bwoy,
That I’d a-meäde, at last, a’móst
A friend o’ thik wold guidèn post.

An’ there, wi’ woone white eärm he show’d,
Down over bridge, the Leyton road;
Wi’ woone, the leäne a-leädèn roun’
By Bradlinch Hill, an’ on to town;
An’ wi’ the last, the way to turn
Drough common down to Rushiburn,—
The road I lik’d to goo the mwost
Ov all upon the guidèn post.

The Leyton road ha’ lofty ranks
Ov elem trees upon his banks;
The woone athirt the hill do show
Us miles o’ hedgy meäds below;
An’ he to Rushiburn is wide
Wi’ strips o’ green along his zide,
An’ ouer brown-ruf’d house a-móst
In zight o’ thik wold guidèn post.

An’ when the haÿ-meäkers did zwarm
O’ zummer evenèns out vrom farm,
The merry maïdens an’ the chaps,
A-peärtèn there wi’ jokes an’ slaps,
Did goo, zome woone way off, an’ zome
Another, all a-zingèn hwome;
Vor vew o’m had to goo, at mwost,
A mile beyond the guidèn post.

Poor Nanny Brown, woone darkish night,
When he’d a-been a-païnted white,
Wer frighten’d, near the gravel pits,
So dead’s a hammer into fits,
A-thinkèn ’twer the ghost she know’d
Did come an’ haunt the Leyton road;
Though, after all, poor Nanny’s ghost
Turn’d out to be the guidèn post.

1. Second Collection. The Linden on the Lawn
2. Second Collection. When Birds be Still
3. First Collection. Summer. Week’s End in Zummer, in the Wold Vo’k’s Time
4. Second Collection. I know Who
5. Third Collection. Went vrom Hwome

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