'Beech Wood Haiku' Poem by Res John Burman

Evening sun shines
Sideways through the trees ~ bird song
Calling all to rest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These old beech woods wait
For the joyful sound of pigs
Autumn's mast rights feast
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Copyright © Res JFB 30th April 2010
Mast rights were the rights of the medieval peasants to turn their stock out in the forest to forage for mast, an early English name for tree seed, namely beech, sweet chestnut and oak mast. This was in essence free feed just at the time when stock needed fattening up for winter, or the larder. This must have been a joyous time for the stock and the peasant families. I often think I can almost hear the echo of contented stock foraging in the woods. I wonder if the woods can remember them. Res