148

I would wake up before
            Eliot or ma or pa or Silas
                        And sit and drink a glass
Of water at the table
            And wash the glass and go
                        Out in the half light
Past the sheds of half
            Woken animals where they
                        Moved in their dark hay
And through the pasture
            And the horse stood asleep
                        To the edge of the woods.
The birds used to wake so
            Early, and sing and call
                        For hours. I would go into
The trees where they were
            Moving and they sounded
                        Like a great quiet machine.
The woods seemed to fall
            And sigh to me like the sea.
                        I would come back
Where Silas was putting
            His overalls on in the
                        Grey yard and he would grin
His white teeth and pink
            Lips and dark skin and say
                        Get you inside young boy.
Standing in white dirty
            Overalls and bare feet in
                        The pale cream of light.