Sunrise in all its glory

House martins nesting under the eaves,

Crows building nests in the nearby trees.

A blackbird perched on the orchard wall,

Whilst a speckled thrush sings to one and all.

The call of the cock bird greeting the dawn,

Strutting and pecking and calling for corn.

Ducks in the pond start to stretch their wings,

Pecking and quacking at a score of ducklings.

The stream flows gently alongside the house,

The heron stands still as quiet as a mouse.

A tawny owl perched on an old oak beam,

Watching and listening for voles, unseen.

The stream flows quietly under the mill,

Turning the waterwheel against its will.

Resisting at first the wheel moves round,

Working the gearing, a wonderful sound.

The plough horse stands silent under a tree,

Watching the sun rise over the lea.

In the dappled green wood the cuckoo calls,

As the stream runs gently over the falls.

Albert Armstrong,

Percy Street,

Hartlepool.