Of Greatham

Of Greatham written by John Drinkwater

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For peace, than knowledge more desirable,
     Into your Sussex quietness I came,
When summer's green and gold and azure fell
     Over the world in flame.

And peace upon your pasture lands I found,
     Where grazing flocks drift on continually,
As little clouds that travel with no sound
     Across a windless sky.

Out of your oaks the birds call to their mates
     That brood among the pines, where hidden deep
From curious eyes a world's adventure waits
     In columned choirs of sleep.

Under the calm ascension of the night
     We heard the mellow lapsing and return
Of night-owls purring in their groundless flight
     Through lanes of darkling fern.

Unbroken peace when all the stars were drawn
     Back to their lairs of light, and ranked along
From shire to shire the downs out of the dawn
     Were risen in golden song.

      . . . . . . . . .

I sing of peace who have known the large unrest
     Of men bewildered in their travelling,
And I have known the bridal earth unblest
     By the brigades of spring.

I have known that loss. And now the broken thought
     Of nations marketing in death I know,
The very winds to threnodies are wrought
     That on your downlands blow.

I sing of peace. Was it but yesterday
     I came among your roses and your corn?
Then momently amid this wrath I pray
     For yesterday reborn.

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.