Third Collection. Slidèn
When wind wer keen, Where ivy-green Did clwosely wind Roun’ woak-tree rind, An’ ice shone bright, An’ meäds wer white, wi’ thin-spread snow Then on the pond, a-spreadèn wide, We bwoys did zweep along the slide, A-strikèn on in merry row. There ruddy-feäced, In busy heäste, We all did wag A spankèn lag, To win good speed, When we, straight-knee’d, wi’ foreright tooes, Should shoot along the slipp’ry track, Wi’ grindèn sound, a-gettèn slack, The slower went our clumpèn shoes. Vor zome slow chap, Did teäke mishap, As he did veel His hinder heel A-het a thump, Wi’ zome big lump, o’ voot an’ shoe. Down vell the voremost wi’ a squall, An’ down the next went wi’ a sprawl, An’ down went all the laughèn crew. As to an’ fro, In merry row, We all went round On ice, on ground The maïdens nigh A-stannèn shy, did zee us slide, An’ in their eäprons small, did vwold Their little hands, a-got red-cwold, Or slide on ice o’ two veet wide. By leafless copse, An’ beäre tree-tops, An’ zun’s low beams, An’ ice-boun’ streams, An’ vrost-boun’ mill, A-stannèn still. Come wind, blow on, An’ gi’e the bwoys, this Chris’mas tide, The glitt’rèn ice to meäke a slide, As we had our slide, years agone.
William Barnes’s other poems:
