day of sun, cool air, blue skies, tiny white clouds, we tackled the hard jobs of hedge and grass: tough thorny stalks, five lawns the swifts have gone, the skies were empty of all but a few house martins I saw no swallows May to September is their time above me then the skies are empty for winter to fill how long and hard their journey to the sun such courage beating in their tiny bodiesnext poem