Friday, January 18, 2008

Here's a poem about trains I wanted to post last week, but only remembered the title today.

Adlestrop by Edward Thomas

Yes, I remember Adlestrop - -
The name, because one afternoon
Of heat the express-train drew up there
Unwontedly. It was late June.

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.
No one left and no one came
On the bare platform. What I saw
Was Adlestrop - only the name

And willows, willow-herb, and grass,
And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,
No whit less still and lonely fair
Than the high cloudlets in the sky.

And for that minute a blackbird sang
Close by, and round him, mistier,
Farther and farther, all the birds
Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

I am currently enjoying the Social CDs sent to me by DsD. I am putting together my own little offering and hope to get it off to the UK in the coming weeks. Many thanks to all for sharing their musical loves.

2 comments:

goneforeign said...

Lovely poem, recreates that feeling of yesteryear.

Anonymous said...

Ah, this poem got me my teaching job! It is lovely.