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Avon Green

Green—

a high grey sky and greenness all around:
drooping drifts of rye-grass silver-green;
wide-spreading boughs above
of vivid oak-leaves green;
weeping willows, mourning,
shed tears into the stream,
their long tresses hanging—
long strands of willow-green;
soft silver rain descending
out of the high grey sky,
silver raindrops blending
with the Avon flowing by;
flowering willows leaning
far across the river;
white elderberry-blossom
and willow-leaves that quiver;
fluffy willow-whiteness
floating gently down;
sombre macrocarpa
in the background frown;
sturdy walnuts towering
behind the winged sycamore;
silver birches smiling
upon the other shore;
wild ducks flying
with glistening backs of purple-green,
swooping past, alighting
upon the waters green;
little ducklings diving
amongst the long green weeds;
white sheep grazing
beside the pointed reeds:
cm utter stillness broken
but by cars that rush to town;
and the grey sky falling,
falling softly down,
falling on the greenness
—Avon greenness—all around.

—a.

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