Milkmaid - Laurie Lee

[mirmusing.livejournal.com]

The girl's far treble, muted to the heat,
calls like a fainting bird across the fields
to where her flock lies panting for her voice,
their black horns buried deep in marigolds.

They climb awake, like drowsy butterflies,
and press their red flanks through the tall branched grass,
and as they go their wandering tongues embrace
the vacant summer mirrored in their eyes.

Led to the limestone shadows of a barn
they snuff their past embalmed in the hay,
while her cool hand, cupped to the udder's fount,
distils the brimming harvest of their day.

Look what a cloudy cream the earth gives out,
fat juice of buttercups and meadow-rye;
the girl dreams milk within her body's field
and hears, far off, her muted children cry.

Comments

Speaking as a drowned rat

[mirmusing.livejournal.com]

...who foolishly walked home in said deluge this evening sans coat, I believe you are unwittingly empathising with me - smiles - and thank you for the continued images of lovely blooms. M.

[with-rainfall.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for sharing this :) It reminds me of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, only because she works as a milkmaid.

[susannah.livejournal.com]

Such a gorgeous poem - thank you