William Barnes

Spring: The Woodlands

O spread ageaen your leaves an’ flow’rs,
     Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands!
Here underneath the dewy show’rs
     O’ warm-air’d spring-time, zunny woodlands!
As when, in drong or open ground,
Wi’ happy bwoyish heart I vound
The twitt’ren birds a-builden round
     Your high-bough’d hedges, zunny woodlands.
 
You gie’d me life, you gie’d me jay,
     Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands
You gie’d me health, as in my play
     I rambled through ye, zunny woodlands!
You gie’d me freedom, vor to rove
In airy meaed or sheaedy grove;
You gie’d me smilen Fanney’s love,
     The best ov all o’t, zunny woodlands!
 
My vu’st shrill skylark whiver’d high,
     Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands!
To zing below your deep-blue sky
     An’ white spring-clouds, O zunny woodlands!
An’ boughs o’ trees that woonce stood here,
Wer glossy green the happy year
That gie’d me woone I lov’d so dear,
     An’ now ha’ lost, O zunny woodlands!
 
O let me rove ageaen unspied,
     Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands!
Along your green-bough’d hedges’ zide,
     As then I rambled, zunny woodlands!
An’ where the missen trees woonce stood,
Or tongues woonce rung among the wood,
My memory shall meaeke em good,
     Though you’ve a-lost em, zunny woodlands!
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