A Pastoral
The sun was shining calm and bright,
The meadow grass was deep;
The daisies and the buttercups
Were nodding, half-asleep.
And overhead the sparrows sat
And crooned upon the bough,
And all the world was sleepy then,
When Johnny drove the cow.
The sun was like a flaming beast,
The field was like the sea;
The grass like angry snakes did hiss
And wriggle at his knee.
The sparrows turned to goblin imps
That yelled, and fluttered on,
As through a world, gone raving mad,
The cow was driving John!