When I am rich

 

When I am rich I will build a house

in Casals’ country of refuge from Spain.

With a view of the snows on Le Canigou

And a garden fenced with cactusses, which fruits I shall pick to eat

With fennel in the wild garrigue and thyme and rosemary

And the blue Dyers Alkanet in the sand

And the South will blow sunshine to me from the sea.

 

So yearly the large birds will fly over

To their nests in my old home

And the small birds will nest in the tamarisk, the pines and the reeds

 the hirondelles will cloud to zoom and twist and dart and wind

around the orange tiles where the lizards hide -

In the spring I will count the flowers and the papillons

And Spain will blow sunshine to me over the wild Pyrenee

 

And we will wander the reedy river under tall bamboo

to see Purple Heron, Flycatchers and Bee Eaters

Or take the bus to Prades and run up Le Canigou for fun

and tiptoe like cats in dangerous places

or sit in the square drinking café-noisette and pression

And the sun will drift out of the sea to our bed.

 

And we will lie in the quiet room.

while the swifts wheel shrilling about the church

and the evening bats cry under the eaves

and the music of the sky will fill our eyes with colour

and we will not be needing the house

and the warm Tramontane will blow us out to sea for ever.