Picture This

A poem for a well known painting

Aye, clearly there’s a story here,

A story here,

Less tranquil than it might appear

Beneath that darkening sky:

The haywain stalls, the lad says naught

But points towards a lass distraught

Upon the bank: a moment fraught

With more than meets the eye.

Midstream the master, roughly clad,

Aye, roughly clad,

Stands staring at the pointing lad,

The horse waits, wain in tow;

A dog looks on. What came before,

Or afterwards might lie in store

For master, lad or lass is more

Than we shall ever know.

(Constable ‘The Hay Wain)