Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-l82ql Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-26T22:19:48.391Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The stwonen bwoy upon the pillar

from Second-Collection Poems with phonemic transcripts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 March 2018

T. L. Burton
Affiliation:
University of Adelaide
Get access

Summary

WI’ smokeless tuns an’ empty halls, chimneys

An’ moss a-clingèn to the walls,

In ev'ry wind the lofty tow'rs

Do teäke the zun, an’ bear the show'rs;

An’ there, 'ithin a geät a-hung, behind a gate

But vasten'd up, an’ never swung,

Upon the pillar, all alwone,

Do stan’ the little bwoy o’ stwone;

's a poppy bud mid linger on, may

Vorseäken, when the wheat's a-gone.

An’ there, then, wi’ his bow let slack,

An’ little quiver at his back,

Drough het an’ wet, the little chile through heat

Vrom day to day do stan’ an’ smile.

When vu'st the light, a-risèn weak, first

At break o’ day, do smite his cheäk,

Or while, at noon, the leafy bough

Do cast a sheäde a-thirt his brow, shadow across

Or when at night the warm-breath'd cows

Do sleep by moon-belighted boughs;

An’ there the while the rooks do bring

Their scroff to build their nest in Spring, twigs

Or zwallows in the zummer day

Do cling their little huts o’ clay, attach

'Ithin the raïnless sheädes, below

The steadvast arches’ mossy bow. span

Or when, in Fall, the woak do shed oak

The leaves, a-wither'd, vrom his head,

An’ western win's, a-blowèn cool,

Do dreve em out athirt the pool, drive, across

Or Winter's clouds do gather dark

An’ wet, wi’ raïn, the elem's bark,

You'll zee his pretty smile betwixt

His little sheäde-mark'd lips a-fix'd;

As there his little sheäpe do bide

Drough day an’ night, an’ time an’ tide, through

An’ never change his size or dress,

Nor overgrow his prettiness.

But, oh! thik child, that we do vind that

In childhood still, do call to mind

A little bwoy a-call'd by death,

Long years agoo, vrom our sad he'th; hearth

An’ I, in thought, can zee en dim him

The seäme in feäce, the seäme in lim’.

My heäir mid whiten as the snow, may

My limbs grow weak, my step wear slow,

My droopèn head mid slowly vall

Above the han’-staff's glossy ball, walking-stick's

An’ yeet, vor all a wid'nèn span yet

Ov years, mid change a livèn man,

My little child do still appear

To me wi’ all his childhood's gear,

'Ithout a beard upon his chin,

'Ithout a wrinkle in his skin,

A-livèn on, a child the seäme

In look, an’ sheäpe, an’ size, an neäme.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: The University of Adelaide Press
Print publication year: 2017

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×