Monday 3 November 2008

Ladybird's November Outing



Clock-O'-Clay

In the cowslip pips I lie,
Hidden from the buzzing fly,
While green grass beneath me lies,
Pearled with dew like fishes' eyes,
Here I lie, a clock-o'-clay,
Waiting for the time o' day.

While the forest quakes surprise,
And the wild wind sobs and sighs,
My home rocks as like to fall,
On its pillar green and tall;
When the pattering rain drives by
Clock-o'-clay keeps warm and dry.

Day by day and night by night,
All the week I hide from sight;
In the cowslip pips I lie,
In the rain still warm and dry;
Day and night and night and day,
Red, black-spotted clock-o'-clay.

My home shakes in wind and showers,
Pale green pillar topped with flowers,
Bending at the wild wind's breath,
Till I touch the grass beneath;
Here I live, lone clock-o'-clay,
Watching for the time of day.

John Clare

*

I spotted this little Ladybird
yesterday, at noon,
on the retaining wall
of the left bank of the Wien river,
near the Jugendstil River Gate.

Stadtpark

5 comments:

  1. Ladybird, come on down, I'm here waiting on the ground; Ladybird I'll treat you good; Ladybird I wish you would...you Ladybird

    Ladybird


    Winter lives in my heart in the times when we're apart;
    Summer sings a song or two, when he says he loves me true...

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  2. Nice poem... And pretty photo...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh...that has to be my favourite picture, and John Clare, that tortured soul, how beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. and you got such a great photo of it from an interesting angle...

    ReplyDelete

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