December 2023-Morning Walk

 

The sky looks unwilling to give up the night

though the Tits, Great and  Blue, the Robin 

and the Blackbird too, have taken to carolling. 

It's the Song Thrush however that out sings the rest

like Hardy's Darkling, frail,gaunt and small 

tweeting in the century.

Here Christmas lights are glowing on a lone standing yew

and I think of Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All Men anew,

a long shot if I were a punter these days.

But Santa’s post box is waiting to make wishes and dreams come true

and there’s the sudden bike skid of a kid on route to school

with a letter in his hand bent for some far off land.

 

I hope he gets his wish and maybe our wishes too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G53oH-MI9qU- The sound of song thrush

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44325/the-darkling-thrush

Hardy's poem was published on 29th December 1900. Originally titled The Century's Deathbed.

Copyright 2023 Cathy Leonard All Rights reserved