A Day in the Country

Gordon A. Long

The steaming city roasts us, on a sweltering summer’s day.

Let’s take a country holiday, and snooze our cares away.

We gaze about and listen to the peaceful, drowsy sounds.

The insects buzz their business, rustling on their little rounds.

The early robin red-breast hops about to catch a worm,

And tells the world of his success.  His voice is clear and firm.

The squirrel jumps and chatters from every sprucey tree.

He warns us off his real estate, demands we let him be.

And all the little birdies hop about from limb to limb,

And dine on nuts and berries.  Oh hear their merry din.

The lovely, peaceful…

The lovely, peaceful wood…

The lov…

WILL YOU LOT BE QUIET!!!?

We’re trying to have a poem, here, if you don’t mind.

Thank you, I’m sure.

The lovely, peaceful woodland is a busy place by day,

So let us stay the evening, and dream our cares away.

Oh hear the singing cricket, telling stories to his brother,

The frogs enjoy their lilly pads, and gossip with each other.

The owl calls his sleepy hoot, and swoops above the grasses.

Where little squeaking mice go still until his shadow passes…

Where little squeaking mice go still.

THE MICE! GO! STILL!!

The owl swoops in with talons sharp, and chomps those pesky mice.

The owl…

Who?

The owl has his dinner, and with nothing else to do,

He drifts away on silent wings, and has a nap or two.

The morning colours now appear, the green, the blue, the brown.

We drag our sleepy bodies home, and wish we’d stayed in town.