Mosaic - Summer's Day Poem by Jonathan ROBIN

Each line is a quotation from a different poem... for line number references see: http: //allpoetry.com/poem/2595760 as formatting here is inappropriate... Enjoy!


1 Mist melted from the mountain grey,
2 my road wound uphill all the way,
3 the stroll had bowled my breath away.
4 Below, beneath the rays of May, -
5 the briny beaches of the bay
6 whose level sands stretched far away.
7 I lay down in the heat of day
8 where ivy leaves curled up astray
9 ‘neath furze unprofitably gay.
10 Beyond, a sparrowed hedgerow lay
11 where patient silken spinners’ sway,
12 their multicoloured webs would play
13 with passing flies, a buzzing prey.
13A The spider weaves by night and day
13B although she’s heard a whisper say
13C a curse is on her if she stay.
13D She fears no curse, knows no dismay,
13E and so weaves on upon her way
13F a magic web with colours gay
13G with little other care today.
14 Bright bluebell buds in bursting spray
15 breathed perfum’d balm in sweet array, -
16 incomp’rable sweet summer’s day!
17 Bright blooms burst through in fairest hue
18 dressing the grounds in garlands new,
19 violets waved where green grass grew.
20 From far at sea a salt breeze blew
21 from foam-flecked waves whence - cry and hue –
22 white seagulls wheeled with plaintive mew.
23 From too much walking tired limbs ache,
24 while fingers flexed with feeble shake
25 from every effort one must make.
26 My thirsty grief the vine did slake,
27 I supped alone, but half awake,
28 then slumbered hours without a break.
29 Lowly plowman limped his way
30 with lowing herd, unheard were they.
31 From dreamless sleep I did not stray,
32 thus missed the sad decay of day
33 which mortal man may not delay,
34 spared from spite by sprite, elf and fay
35 while hawk winged homewards, would not stay.
36 Sun, sinking, bid the birds asleep
37 though thorny hedgehogs on did creep
38 and tickled trout rose from the deep.
39 My spirit, it was sealed so deep,
40 no snore, no sigh, nor timid peep,
41 nor sound disturbed the sleeping sheep,
42 no lamb strayed far from shepherd’s keep –
42A few, few should part where many meet
42B or moor may be their winding sheet.
42C Near bank where wild thyme blew so sweet,
42D where oxlips, nodding violet greet
42E the senses, woodbine, musk rose mete,
42F together twine, round oak trees’ feet,
42G there hateful fantasies, deceit,
42H were banished by dream lull’d heart beat.
43 Then from repose with sudden leap,
44 I rose to see on hillside steep,
45 two brave buck deer who’d butt and bray
46 together met in mortal fray.
47 Their antlers locked as flesh would fray
48 til one, the elder, brought to bay,
49 strength fled, - fell! Flat his form did stay, -
50 ne’er more to taste the scent of day.
51 Grey shadows glided by the brake;
52 the tawny owl and spotted snake
53 and playful badger cubs did wake, -
54 these rolled at ease where farmer’s rake
55 once furrowed for his harvest take.
56 Soft winds the moonlit leaves did shake
56A while here and there a foamy flake
56B winds whipped on silvery waterbreak.
57 On forest’s ferny floor a few
58 phantom horses’ hooves first flew,
59 then halted, fairy fronds to chew.
60 I felt as if their feet once knew
61 the road that wound the wan woods through,
62 now almost overgrown with yew.
63 Green glow worms glittered in the dew
64 blinking back to the star-backed blue.
65 No marks of Man here marred the view.
66 The pearls that string the Milky Way,
67 I numbered them at dusk that day, -
68 and when the sun rose where were they?
69 All happened here but yesterday,
70 now ended is our brief sweet play –
71 Time, gipsy man, no more could stay...

See References below http: //allpoetry.com/poem/2595760

(c) Jonathan Robin - Mosaic parody written 28th and 29th April 1975

Note: The references entirely in Green were used for this parody,
as obviously the World Wide Web did not exist in 1975
others have been added to facilitate either research or interest or both.
Lines 13A – 13E,42A – 42H written 29th August 2005 researching links.