Sunday, January 8, 2012

Poetry from the English Countryside

As I was searching through some old books I came across these poems that I really liked. They were written by a man who lived in Clayton, Yorkshire, England:

Musings of Field and Hearth in Verse by Sherwin, 1905
Why Look for Sorrow
Why should man look forth in sorrow
To a dark and drear tomorrow,
With blighted hopes, in frambling fear
To bring an absent terror near?
Should no the prospects of today
His self-made fears and doubtings stay,
To value what he now doth own;
He may ne'er see the morrow dawn,
But 't seems man's discontented lot,
To fret o'er what he has not got,
To waste the prospects of today
A-thinking what the morrow may.

My Humble Lot
I would not change my humble lot
For riches nor wealth
So long as I as now am blest
With happiness and health

There's not a bird so gay and free
And fleet upon the wing,
That can more light and happy be
How gaily it doth sing

I range amid Earth's fairest scenes
With glad and grateful heart
In humbleness and honesty
With which I do m part

And when at night I lay me down
To take refreshing rest.
My dreams are of the sweetest, far
My sleep is of the blest

There many be who nod at me,
With wealth at their command
Who live in lavish luxury,
With plenty waiting round

If they with me should seek to change,
I would not take their place,
With ticing follies smiling there
Perchance I could not face.