Country Letter by John Clare (13 July 1793 – 20 May 1864)

Details about John Clare from  http://www.poemhunter.com/john-clare/

John Clare was an English poet, the son of a farm labourer, who came to be known for his celebratory representations of the English countryside and his lamentation of its disruption. His poetry underwent a major re-evaluation in the late 20th century and he is often now considered to be among the most important 19th-century poets. His biographer Jonathan Bate states that Clare was "the greatest labouring-class poet that England has ever produced. No one has ever written more powerfully of nature, of a rural childhood, and of the alienated and unstable self". 

Country Letter

By John Clare

Dear brother robin this comes from us all

With our kind love and could Gip write and all

Though but a dog he'd have his love to spare

For still he knows and by your corner chair

The moment he comes in he lyes him down

and seems to fancy you are in the town.

This leaves us well in health thank God for that

For old acquaintance Sue has kept your hat

Which mother brushes ere she lays it bye

and every sunday goes upstairs to cry

Jane still is yours till you come back agen

and neer so much as dances with the men

and ned the woodman every week comes in

and asks about you kindly as our kin

and he with this and goody Thompson sends

Remembrances with those of all our friends

Father with us sends love untill he hears

and mother she has nothing but her tears

Yet wishes you like us in health the same

and longs to see a letter with your name

So loving brother don't forget to write

Old Gip lies on the hearth stone every night

Mother can't bear to turn him out of doors

and never noises now of dirty floors

Father will laugh but lets her have her way

and Gip for kindness get a double pay

So Robin write and let us quickly see

You don't forget old friends no more than we

Nor let my mother have so much to blame

To go three journeys ere your letter came.