Seeking Beauty

We had rain again this morning, but it eased off this afternoon, enabling us to go out for a walk from Elterwater Village to Skelwith Bridge along the Cumbria Way. We’ve done part of the walk before on this holiday, but we never tire of it, or of seeing the natural beauty all around us.

My collage illustrates various aspects of W. H. Davies’ beautiful poem, ‘Seeking Beauty’, including the speedwell flowers, which are favourites of mine, and a gnarled hawthorn tree (bottom right) although, sadly, it’s not yet ‘foaming’ as it usually is when we’re here. We also saw his ancient oaks, and buttercups, and were wonderfully serenaded by chaffinches too.

My two extras show the path as it enters the bluebell wood, where the air is heady with the scent of wild garlic. The second extra is another shot of Elter Water with the Langdale Pikes just visible in the distance through the cloud. It wasn’t the best day for photos because it was very cloudy and dull, but nevertheless it was an exhilarating walk.

Seeking Beauty

Cold winds can never freeze, nor thunder sour
The cup of cheer that beauty draws for me
Out of those azure heavens and this green earth –
I drink and drink, and thirst the more I see.

To see the dewdrops thrill the blades of grass,
Makes my whole body shake; for here's my choice
Of either sun or shade, and both are green –
A chaffinch laughs in his melodious voice.

The banks are stormed by speedwell, that blue flower
So like a little heaven with one star out;
I see an amber lake of buttercups,
And hawthorn foams the hedges round about.

The old oak tree looks now so green and young,
That even swallows perch awhile and sing:
This is that time of year, so sweet and warm,
When bats wait not for stars ere they take wing.

As long as I love beauty I am young,
Am young or old as I love more or less;
When beauty is not heeded or seems stale,
My life's a cheat, let death end my distress.

William Henry Davies