The Weather-Beaten Tree

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The woaken tree, a-beät at night
  By stormy winds wi' all their spite,
  Mid toss his lim's, an' ply, an' mwoan,
  Wi' unknown struggles all alwone;
  An' when the day do show his head,
  A-stripp'd by winds at last a-laid,
  How vew mid think that didden zee,
  How night-time had a-tried thik tree.

  An' happy vo'k do seldom know
  How hard our unknown storms do blow,
  The while our heads do slowly bend
  Below the trials God do zend,
  Like shiv'rèn bennets, beäre to all
  The drevèn winds o' dark'nèn fall.
  An' zoo in tryèn hardships we
  Be lik' the weather beäten tree.

  But He will never meäke our sheäre
  O' sorrow mwore than we can bear,
  But meäke us zee, if 'tis His will,
  That He can bring us good vrom ill;
  As after winter He do bring,
  In His good time, the zunny spring,
  An' leaves, an' young vo'k vull o' glee
  A-dancèn roun' the woaken tree.

  True love's the ivy that do twine
  Unwith'rèn roun' his mossy rine,
  When winter's zickly zun do sheen
  Upon its leaves o' glossy green,
  So patiently a-holdèn vast
  Till storms an' cwold be all a-past,
  An' only livèn vor to be
  A-meäted to the woaken tree.

© William Barnes