Common Swain

[virtuoso]

Common swain groomed in idyllic meadow
Majestic colors graded with coarse borders
Sun strokes egg wash his canvas
Opaque tufts strain the luminescence
An emerald strand spreads at lush base
Undulating swells efface the surface
Jade-brimmed trees shimmer in background
Cropped shadows darken the distance

Common swain scouts with a primitive staff
His rich sheep-bounty holds in escrow
With pruning hook tenderly prods his stock
With stout crook fends off coyotes, wolves

Common swain a courageous guide
Skirts rough patches, fast-moving streams
Stands in the gap; the distance to bridge
Leads his wandering sheep safely into the fold