Valley Farm

The Valley Farm (Constable's last Suffolk picture, 1835)

Back here again,
with so much river passed,
there are certain scenes
to which a soul must keep returning,
without needing to know why.

Old Lott has barely ever left
but that's because it's home to him,
if I try to speak of atmosphere
he just nods into the river.
There are certain places you can wear,
breathe them in, then write them, paint them,
go away for years but know they're always there,
always come back one more time to find them.

The cottage builds me up again
but now, of course, I drape it with my memories;
they weigh me down,
but still I have to come.
The light still speckles through the trees
and breaks the roof, the walls
into a harvest full of colours
I reap onto my canvas one last time.

One last time? That's what I always say.
Who knows how much more river will pass by?
But when I'm gone
my spirit will return here;
perhaps by then I'll finally know why.