William Barnes

Second Collection. Seats

When starbright maïdens be to zit
 In silken frocks, that they do wear,
The room mid have, as ’tis but fit,
 A han’some seat vor vo’k so feäir;
But we, in zun-dried vield an’ wood,
 Ha’ seats as good’s a goolden chair.

Vor here, ’ithin the woody drong,
 A ribbèd elem-stem do lie,
A-vell’d in Spring, an’ stratch’d along
 A bed o’ grægles up knee-high,
A sheädy seat to rest, an’ let
 The burnèn het o’ noon goo by.

Or if you’d look, wi’ wider scope,
 Out where the gray-tree’d plaïn do spread,
The ash bezide the zunny slope,
 Do sheäde a cool-aïr’d deäisy bed,
An’ grassy seat, wi’ spreadèn eaves
 O’ rus’lèn leaves, above your head.

An’ there the traïn mid come in zight,
 Too vur to hear a-rollèn by,
A-breathèn quick, in heästy flight,
 His breath o’ tweil, avore the sky,
The while the waggon, wi’ his lwoad,
 Do crawl the rwoad a-windèn nigh.

Or now theäse happy holiday
 Do let vo’k rest their weary lim’s,
An’ lwoaded haÿ’s a-hangèn gray,
 Above the waggon-wheels’ dry rims,
The meäd ha’ seats in weäles or pooks,
 By windèn brooks, wi’ crumblèn brims.

Or if you’d gi’e your thoughtvul mind
 To yonder long-vorseäken hall,
Then teäke a stwonèn seat behind
 The ivy on the broken wall,
An’ learn how e’thly wealth an’ might
 Mid dim’ their height, an’ then mid vall.