South Downs, January 2016

​Wind from the south herds sullen clouds
Northwards across the Downs
Revealing glimmers of washed blue sky
Shot through with silvery light
From a pale, inadequate sun.
 
Gulls bend their wings in sudden swirls,
Angled across the sky
While magpies, indifferent to the storm,
Hop, earthbound, chattering stilled
By the rush of blustering wind.
 
Sheep stand forlorn, their huddled groups
Seek shelter by the hedge.
Pied wagtails flutter wildly in pairs
Tossed by the buffeting blows
Of the moist, malevolent gale.
 
The hills stand steadfast, enduring,
Solid beneath the sky,
Ancient guardians of man made fields,
Resistant to every breath
Of Nature’s implacable force.