THE RAVENS NEST John Clare c. 1832 ======================= Upon the collar of an hugh old oak Year after year boys mark a curious nest Of twigs made up a faggot near in size And boys to reach it try all sorts of schemes But not a twig to reach with hand or foot Sprouts from the pillared trunk and as to try To swarm the massy bulk tis all in vain They scarce one effort make to hitch them up But down they sluther soon as ere they try So long hath been their dwelling there--old men When passing bye will laugh and tell the ways They had when boys to climb that very tree And as it so would seem that very nest That ne'er was missing from that self same spot A single year in all their memorys And they will say that the two birds are now The very birds that owned the dwelling then Some think it starnge yet certaintys at loss And cannot contradict it so they pass As old birds living the woods patriarchs Old as the oldest men so famed and known That even men will thirst into the fame Of boys at get at schemes that now and then May captivate a young one from the tree With iron claums and bands adventuring up The mealy trunk or else by waggon ropes Slung over the hugh grains and so drawn up By those at bottom one assends secure With foot rope stirruped--still a perrilous way So perrilous that one and only one In memorys of the oldest man was known To wear his boldness to intentions end And reach the ravens nest--and thence acchieved A theme that wonder treasured for supprise By every cottage hea[r]th the village through Nor yet forgot though other darers come With daring times that scale the steeples top And tye their kerchiefs to the weather cock As trophys that the dangerous deed was done Yet even now in these adventureous days Not one is bold enough to dare the way Up the old monstrous oak where every spring Finds the two ancient birds at their old task Repairing the hugh nest--where still they live Through changes winds and storms and are secure And like a landmark in the chronicles Of village memorys treasured up yet lives The hugh old oak that wears the ravens nest ======== ========