Fragment

In a huge cloud of mountain hue

The sun sets dark nor shudders through

One single beam to shine again

Tis night already in the lane

The settled clouds in ridges lie

And some swell mountains calm and high

Clouds rack and drive before the wind

In shapes and forms of every kind

Like waves that rise without the roars

And rocks that guard untrodden shores

Now castles pass majestic bye

And ships in peaceful havens lie

These gone ten thousand shapes ensue

For ever beautiful and new

The scattered clouds lie calm and still

And day throws gold on every hill

Their thousand heads in glorys run

As each were worlds and owned a sun

The rime it clings to every thing

It beards the early buds of spring

The mossy pales the orchard spray

Are feathered with its silver grey

Rain drizzles in the face so small

We scarce can say it rains at all

The cows turned to the pelting rain

No longer at their feed remain

But in the sheltering hovel hides

That from two propping dotterels strides

The sky was hilled with red and blue

With lighter shadows waking through

Till beautiful and beaming day

Shed streaks of gold for miles away

The linnet stopt her song to clean

Her spreading wings of yellow green

And turn his head as liking well

To smooth the dropples as they fell

One scarce could keep one's path aright

From gazing upward at the sight

The boys for wet are forced to pass

The cuckoo flowers among the grass

To hasten on as well they may

For hedge or tree or stack of hay

Where they for shelter can abide

Safe seated by its sloping side

That by the blackthorn thicket cowers

A shelter in the strongest showers

The gardens golden gilliflowers

Are paled with drops of amber showers

Dead leaves from hedges flirt about

The chaff from barn doors winnows out

And down without a wing to flye

As fast as bees goes sailing bye

The feather finds a wing to flye

And dust in wirl puffs winnows bye

When the rain at midday stops

Spangles glitter in the drops

And as each thread a sunbeam was

Cobwebs glitter in the grass

The sheep all loaded with the rain

Try to shake it off in vain

And ere dryed by wind and sun

The load will scarcely let them run

The shepherds foot is sodden through

And leaves will clout his brushing shoe

The buttercups in gold alloyed

And daiseys by the shower destroyed

The sun is overcast clouds lie

And thicken over all the sky

Crows morn and eve will flock in crowds

To fens and darken like the clouds

So many is their cumberous flight

The dull eve darkens into night

Clouds curl and curdle blue and grey

And dapple the young summers day

Through the torn woods the violent rain

Roars and rattles oer the plain

And bubbles up in every pool

Till dykes and ponds are brimming full

The thickening clouds move slowly on

Till all the many clouds are one

That spreads oer all the face of day

And turns the sunny shine to grey

Now the meadow water smokes

And hedgerows dripping oaks

Fitter patter all around

And dimple the once dusty ground

The spinners threads about the weeds

Are hung with little drops in beads

Clover silver green becomes

And purple blue surrounds the plumbs

And every place breaths fresh and fair

When morning pays her visit there

The day is dull the heron trails

On flapping wings like heavy sails

And oer the mead so lowly swings

She fans the herbage with her wings

The waterfowl with suthering wings

Dive down the river splash and spring

Up to the very clouds again

That sprinkle scuds of coming rain

That flye and drizzle all the day

Till dripping grass is turned to grey

The various clouds that move or lye

Like mighty travellers in the sky

All mountainously ridged or curled

That may have travelled round the world

The water ruckles into waves

And loud the neighbouring woodland raves

All telling of the coming storm

That fills the village with alarm

Ere yet the sun is two hours high

Winds find all quarters of the sky

With sudden shiftings all around

And now the grass upon the ground

And now the leaves they wirl and wirl

With many a flirting flap and curl