The casement all the day
And from the mossy elm tree takes
The faded leaf away
Twirling it by the window-pane
With thousand others down the lane'
So goes the first verse of John Clare's 'Autumn'. Clare was the son of a farm labourer, a celebrator and chronicler of the English countryside, which underwent significant changes during his lifetime. Being from 'lowly stock', he was not taken seriously until a major revision of his work in the 20th century. And rightly so as he is a fine poet in every sense!
Autumn usually brings out the melancholy in me but I would prefer to choose another emotional pathway as this season progresses. We have had precious little autumn weather, the days being hot and sticky or even mild and sticky, the nights little different.
But today it is beginning to feel genuinely autumnal, or, at least, the seeds of autumn are planted and growing. Several of the mature trees in the back garden are yellowing and some have falling leaves. They fall crisply and with a perfunctory resignation to the grass which collects them in its vast green sieve.
Last night we had light rain and lingering fog, which left the early morning very much like a 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.' Another Romantic for another time!
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