Poem by William Barnes

Third Collection. The Turnstile

Ah! sad wer we as we did peäce
The wold church road, wi’ downcast feäce,
The while the bells, that mwoan’d so deep
Above our child a-left asleep,
Wer now a-zingèn all alive
Wi’ tother bells to meäke the vive.
But up at woone pleäce we come by,
’Twer hard to keep woone’s two eyes dry:
On Steän-cliff road, ’ithin the drong,
Up where, as vo’k do pass along,
The turnèn stile, a-païnted white,
Do sheen by day an’ show by night.
Vor always there, as we did goo
To church, thik stile did let us drough,
Wi’ spreadèn eärms that wheel’d to guide
Us each in turn to tother zide.
An’ vu’st ov all the traïn he took
My wife, wi’ winsome gaït an’ look;
An’ then zent on my little maïd,
A-skippèn onward, overjaÿ’d
To reach ageän the pleäce o’ pride,
Her comely mother’s left han’ zide.
An’ then, a-wheelèn roun’, he took
On me, ’ithin his third white nook.
An’ in the fourth, a-sheäkèn wild,
He zent us on our giddy child.
But eesterday he guided slow
My downcast Jenny, vull o’ woe,
An’ then my little maïd in black,
A-walkèn softly on her track;
An’ after he’d a-turn’d ageän,
To let me goo along the leäne,
He had noo little bwoy to vill
His last white eärms, an’ they stood still.

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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