Preparing.
In this quiet time before winter draws in the light
We prepare the ground for the months of rest
Bill-hooks, sickles and cutters are sharpened
And so it’s a day to shorten and lay hedges
Birch and poplar are shedding their leaves
Oaks begin to turn though the change is slight
I hate to look at the Ash my favourite of trees
Diseased leaves hang in blackened bunches
But now is the time for the heavy work to be done
And in bad weather winter days writing begins.
