Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A VERMONT PASTURE, by DANIEL LEAVENS CADY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A VERMONT PASTURE, by                 Poet's Biography
First Line: You have to work your tillage land
Last Line: Upon your pastur ledges.
Subject(s): Farm Life; Vermont; Agriculture; Farmers


You have to work your tillage land
And mow and hoe and plow it,
But as for pastur, all you do
Is jest to sheep or cow it;
And you can walk jest where you please,
Instead of 'round the edges,
And Sunday you can go and set
Upon the pastur ledges.

I've seen a lot of right good folks
Whose names I ain't repeating,
Go through the bars on Sunday morn,
Instead of off to meeting;
And when a preacher hits too hard
With his dogmatic sledges,
You might let nature preach to you
Upon the pastur ledges.

You cross the brook on stepping stones
You've hauled from off the mowing;
You own the stones and own the brook,
Although it keeps agoing;
Then past the logged-off piece you climb,
That's fenced with blackberry hedges,
And then you sight the butnut tree
And up beyond the ledges.

At last you're there—you see your house
And barn and both your medders,
And 'way off north the other farm
You rent to Elmer Chedders;
You feel as fine as temperance tots
Who've jest signed six more pledges—
The world shows up for quite a place
From Bagley's pastur ledges.

Your wife and boys are both along,
And whilst you've been a-looking,
They've fixed it so you'll all go snacks
On mother's put-up cooking;
By George! that rozberry pie is good,
Those great big bleeding wedges,
You don't feel wicked, none of you,
For being on the ledges.

You stand up straight and give a stretch,
And then go 'round by mother,
And quote from Waldo or from Walt
Some out-door truth or other;
You're jest as full of nature thoughts
As England is of hedges—
Thoreau, he loved the woods of Maine,
But Bagley loves his ledges.

My! such a peaceful fambly day,
It makes you good as Quakers;
You can't have no such day as that
On top of tillage acres;
It beats a day on Woodstock Green,
Or 'mongst the Highgate sedges;
There ain't no day that's like a day
Upon your pastur ledges.





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