Down in the Pastures by L.M. Montgomery

In July 1906, L.M. Montgomery published the poem "Down in the Pastures" in The Farm Journal, a journal devoted to the farm, orchard, garden, poultry and household economy. The journal's motto was "Practical not Fancy Farming."

Here is a digitized image of the poem scanned from microfilm available at Archive.org:



Here is the full text of the poem:

DOWN IN THE PASTURES
BY L. M. MONTGOMERY

Down in the pastures, remote and cool,

In the glow of a golden afternoon,

Where the calm-eyed cows by the birchen pool

Browse, and meandering breezes croon

Among the clover and daisies there,
In the wine-like sweetness of summer air,

I rambled to-day—no companionships

Of human creatures, no voice save the low
Leaf murmurs that wandered to and fro,

And the brook’s mysterious sibylline lips.

A bluebird, perched on a picket gray,

Sang a song that was blithe and free;

It looked askance as I passed that way,

Yet the shy thing seemed not afraid of me.

And each wild rose that opened there
Its virgin lips to the calm blue air

Among the bracken a welcome gave,

And I felt that everything, flower and bird,
By some subtle instinct of joy was stirred,

Such as mortals know not and vainly crave.

O, it was sweet on this summer day

To learn my kinship to those wild things,

To feel as unfettered and glad as they

And as if my spirit at least had wings,

To lay my heart against Nature’s own
Till the haunting music of each deep tone

Passed into my soul with a rapt release

From the pain and turmoil of outer life,
To forget the meaning of selfish strife

And learn the depth of primeval peace.

Reference:
Montgomery, L.M. (1906, July). Down in the Pastures. The Farm Journal. 30(7): 234. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/sim_farm-journal_1906-07_30_7/page/234/mode/2up

Created October 30, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Milking Time by L.M. Montgomery

In May 1902, L.M. Montgomery published the poem "Milking Time" in The Farm Journal, a journal devoted to the farm, orchard, garden, poultry and household economy. The journal's motto was "Practical not Fancy Farming."

Here is a digitized image of the poem scanned from microfilm available at Archive.org:



Here is the full text of the poem:

MILKING TIME
BY L. M. MONTGOMERY

Dusking fields that are damp with dew,
Skies of crocus and rose and blue,
After-lights on the far hill rim,
Tremulous twilight in valleys dim,
Brooks atune with a limpid chime—
Down at the bars it is milking time.

Pale-hued clovers with creamy crowns,
Buttercups in their golden gowns,
Wind-blown pines at the pasture bars,
Pearl-white glimmer of early stars,
Breezes lilting a wordless rhyme—
Down in the fields it is milking time.

Brown-eyed lassie and sturdy lad,
Laughter and mirth of hearts made glad,
Loitering couples and lagging feet—
Never an hour of the day so sweet!
Youth and love in the summer's prime
Find each other at milking time.


Reference:
Montgomery, L.M. (1902, May). Milking Time. The Farm Journal. 26(5): 161. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/sim_farm-journal_1902-05_26_5/mode/2up

Created October 12, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com