In his tragic lifetime he suffered his share <br />A true poet of Nature was Helpston's John Clare <br />Far away from his family and far away from his wife <br />In Northampton Mental Asylum he lived out his life <br />His poems often read and recited today <br />The Thrush's Nest, I Am, The Badger, Clock A Clay <br />Despite his lack of education and mental illness great poems he did write <br />Poetic gems that are easy to read and recite <br />As a boy whilst he worked in the fields he learned the Wordsmith Trade <br />A natural poet true poets born not made <br />Northampton's Asylum's most famous inmate <br />His name it lives on as a poetic great <br />He proved that poverty and mental illness is no barrier to renown <br />Like 'tis said hard for to keep a good one down.<br /><br />Francis Duggan<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/helpston-s-john-clare/
