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The Darkling Thrush
BY THOMAS HARDY
I leant upon a coppice gate
When Frost was spectre-grey,
And Winter's dregs made desolate
The weakening eye of day.
The tangled bine-stems scored the sky
Like strings of broken lyres,
And all mankind that haunted nigh
Had sought their household fires.
The land's sharp features seemed to be
The Century's corpse outleant,
His crypt the cloudy canopy,
The wind his death-lament.
The ancient pulse of germ and birth
Was shrunken hard and dry,
And every spirit upon earth
Seemed fervourless as I.
At once a voice arose among
The bleak twigs overhead
In a full-hearted evensong
Of joy illimited;
An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,
In blast-beruffled plume,
Had chosen thus to fling his soul
Upon the growing gloom.
So little cause for carolings
Of such ecstatic sound
Was written on terrestrial things
Afar or nigh around,
That I could think there trembled through
His happy good-night air
Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew
And I was unaware.
Well it seemed a little bleak early on to entice folks out of their warm bed but as the frost abated from the field cars slowly emerged and the kettle began to pour steam from its spout to deliver a warming brew. It looked as though there would be some joy in the day just like the heralding from the Darkling Thrush. I know you are thinking to yourself "what is this guy smoking", well nothing to tell you the truth, just celebrating being alive and enjoying the company of like minded aero-modellers.
There is no disputing that entries were down on last year, but it was pleasing to see a number of new and refurbished models unveiled for the 1st time.
Congratulations must go to Dave Lacy for his model of the Sopwith Tabloid, well done Dave! David assures us that there is more to follow, when you see him next have chat about his museum exploits and plans.
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