When I’ve a-had a tree to screen
My meal-rest vrom the high zunn’d-sky,
Or ivy-holdèn wall between
My head an’ win’s a-rustlèn by,
I had noo call vor han’s to bring
Their seäv’ry daïnties at my nod,
But stoop’d a-drinkèn vrom the spring,
An’ took my meal, wi’ thanks to God,
Wi’ faïth to keep me free o’ dread,
An’ peäce to sleep wi’ steadvast head,
An’ freedom’s hands, an’ veet unbound
To woone man’s work, or woone seäme ground.
FALL TIME.
The gather’d clouds, a-hangèn low,
Do meäke the woody ridge look dim;
An’ raïn-vill’d streams do brisker flow,
Arisèn higher to their brim.
In the tree, vrom lim’ to lim’,
Leaves do drop
Vrom the top, all slowly down,
Yollow, to the gloomy groun’.
The rick’s a-tipp’d an’ weather-brown’d,
An’ thatch’d wi’ zedge a-dried an’ dead;
An’ orcha’d apples, red half round,
Have all a-happer’d down, a-shed
Underneath the trees’ wide head.
Ladders long,
Rong by rong, to clim’ the tall
Trees, be hung upon the wall.
The crumpled leaves be now a-shed
In mornèn winds a-blowèn keen;
When they wer green the moss wer dead,
