Preparing

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.