A Cumbrian Garden

Actually, I have no garden in Cumbria but this is like the lakeland Horticultural Society Garden at Ambleside

A Cumbrian Garden -     John Berry  July 4,  2010

 

A foxglove stands, drips, bright with rain

while pinks in rank profusion drain

in raised and sandy gritted beds

where alpines shake small, gem-like heads

close to flowers whose hue and shape,

green-mounted, offer jewelled cape

to rocky shouldered limestone spurs

rising, glowing, bright in airs

new-freshened by the falling rain.

 

Borderless, and blending well,

Encompassed by wild moorland fell

beloved of larks and lambs, a sward,

of gentle, sheep-mown turf toward

the craggier hills where ravens ply

and eagles plane the summer sky.

 

All this I see and more, yet more

looking down on Cumbrian shore;

on glistening lakes from mountain fell

these English Lakes I know so well.

 

Oh joy that humble garden blends

with craggy tops and wooded dell,

close nibbled grass and rocky scree

And lakes; this - - - is enough for me.

Reviews

[Donald Meikle]

Stay outta milady's garden you trespassin' git!!
Well except for the craggy Welsh background that is.
None of it is neat. All of it is wild. and all of it is heaven.
She even has woodpeckers drinking from Humming bird feeders!!

Like y' verse mate (puts me back there.

[G. Marie"floating on an..]

I am very impressed at this poem. I love how you write as you seem as a professional writer to me.... great poetry, it inspires me to write better....

[Ron]

How the Victorians would have swept you up and published you. Wordsworth would have moved you in and the Reverend Francis Kilvert would have included you in his diary. Wainwright would have walked with you. So much modern mind jingling claptrap on WC I sagged with relaxation reading this. Oh and it rhymes too. Where did you get that monstrous idea from? Good stuff I wonder if you were Christened after Keats.

[An owl on the moon]

If ever I need or wish to relax and feel peace, I simply open up one of my garden books. Your words here create that same feeling, watching the beauty of the glistening flowers, the wondrous lakes, and those eagles in the summer sky. Such a richly painted poem of one of the most beautiful of places!

[Fabian G. Franklin]

One can feel the love of nature and the countryside emanating from the verses. This is really lovely work. I particularly enjoyed the second stanza, the craft of the verse was well conceived. It leaves the reader with a peaceful feeling. I enjoyed the read.

[R J Askew]

Ach, marvellous lines. You take me straight out of London and into the hills. There is a positive, simple, rustic pleasure in the observation, which you by making it become part of. All this is soothing to the reader's mind. All the madness, vanity, ambtion, greed and shallowness of the world melt away on reading this well executed expression of joy.

[.]

Arh the english countryside, how exquisitely put, the rhyme and flow is fluid. Lovely read

[Patient Poet (Yos)]

It is enough for me too :) .... thank you so much for taking me for a few minutes out there to the lakes, the fresh air is much better than the one in my AC office , I could almost be there, standing on the rock , over looking the wonderful view... but then the phone rang and my Boss on the line, got me back to reality! .


Glad to see you here, again , I missed you my dear friend!

Have a wonderful day , Yossi