"THE TURKEYS WADE THE CLOSE TO CATCH THE BEES"* John Clare c. 183? ======================================================= The turkeys wade the close to catch the bees In the old border full of maple trees And often lay away and breed and come And bring a brood of chelping chickens home The turkey gobbles loud and drops his rag And struts and sprunts his tail and drags His wing on ground and makes a huzzing noise Nauntles** at passer bye and drives the boys And bounces up and flies at passer bye The old dog snaps and grins nor ventures nigh He gobbles loud and drives the boys from play They throw their sticks and kick away And turn agen the stone comes huzzing bye He drops his quiet tail and forced to flye Draws up his scralet snout and cools to grey And drops his gobble noise and sneaks away He drives the noisey ducks as soon as loose And fights with awkward haste the hissing goose And tramples round and fairly beats him down And quarrels with the maidens sunday gown He often gives the cock and hens the chase And drives the stranger till he leaves the place And runs and gobbles up and when he beats They all come up and follow the retreat And when a beggar comes he nauntling steals and gobbles loud and pecks the strangers heels He fights the dunghill cock that quarrels hard And hobbles round the master of the yard The idle turkey gobbling half the day Goes hobbling through the grass and lays away Five and red spotted eggs where many pass But none ere thinks of turkeys in the grass The old dogs sees her on and goes away The old dame calls and wonders where they lay Among the old and thickest grass they lie The fox unnotices and passes bye The blackbird breeds above a cunning guest And hides the shells cause none should find the nest The old crow crawks around them every day And trys to steal the turkeys eggs away The magpie cackles round for any prey And finds the wounded snake and goes away ======== * later given the editorial title "Turkeys" ** raises oneself up ======== ========