First Collection. Summer. Uncle an’ Aunt
How happy uncle us’d to be O’ zummer time, when aunt an’ he O’ Zunday evenèns, eärm in eärm, Did walk about their tiny farm, While birds did zing an’ gnats did zwarm, Drough grass a’most above their knees, An’ roun’ by hedges an’ by trees Wi’ leafy boughs a-swaÿèn. His hat wer broad, his cwoat wer brown, Wi’ two long flaps a-hangèn down; An’ vrom his knee went down a blue Knit stockèn to his buckled shoe; An’ aunt did pull her gown-taïl drough Her pocket-hole, to keep en neat, As she mid walk, or teäke a seat By leafy boughs a-zwaÿèn. An’ vu’st they’d goo to zee their lots O’ pot-eärbs in the geärden plots; An’ he, i’-may-be, by the hatch, Would zee aunt’s vowls upon a patch O’ zeeds, an’ vow if he could catch Em wi’ his gun, they shoudden vlee Noo mwore into their roostèn tree, Wi’ leafy boughs a-swaÿèn. An’ then vrom geärden they did pass Drough orcha’d out to zee the grass, An’ if the apple-blooth, so white, Mid be at all a-touch’d wi’ blight; An’ uncle, happy at the zight, Did guess what cider there mid be In all the orcha’d, tree wi’ tree, Wi’ tutties all a-swaÿèn. An’ then they stump’d along vrom there A-vield, to zee the cows an’ meäre; An’ she, when uncle come in zight, Look’d up, an’ prick’d her ears upright, An’ whicker’d out wi’ all her might; An’ he, a-chucklèn, went to zee The cows below the sheädy tree, Wi’ leafy boughs a-swaÿen. An’ last ov all, they went to know How vast the grass in meäd did grow An’ then aunt zaid ’twer time to goo In hwome,—a-holdèn up her shoe, To show how wet he wer wi’ dew. An’ zoo they toddled hwome to rest, Lik’ doves a-vleèn to their nest In leafy boughs a-swaÿen.
William Barnes’s other poems:
- First Collection. Winter. Keepèn up o’ Chris’mas
- Third Collection. Comen Hwome
- Second Collection. Slow to come, quick agone
- Second Collection. John Bleäke at Hwome
- Third Collection. Things do Come Round
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