Poem Barnes Leane

Here are the words of this Barnes poem which hopefully I've written correctly/translated into national English:

They do say that a travelling chap
have a put in the newspapers now,
that the bit of grass ground on the knap
should all be taken for the plough.
He do fancy that it is easy to show
that we can be but stupid at best,
for to leave a green spot where a flower can grow
or a foot weary walker can rest.

It's hedge grabbing, Thomas, and ledge-grabbing
never a done while a sovereign mores to be gained.
Years ago the lane's sides did bear grass
for to pull with the geese red bills,
that did hiss at the folks that did pass,
or the boys that picked up their white quills.

But soon if flower or life of
our goslings do creep from the egg,
they must mope in the garden, more dead than alive
in a coop or else tied by their leg,
for to catch at the land, Thomas, and snatch at land,
now is the plan - Make money wherever you can.

For to breed the young fox or the hare
we can give up whole acreas of ground,
but the greens be agrudged, for to rear
our young children up healthy and strong,
why, there won't be left in the next age
a green spot where their feet can run free,
and the cuckoo will soon be committed to cage
for trespassing in somebody's tree,
for it's locking up, Thomas,
and blocking up stranger or brother
- Men musn't come near one another

~ by William Barnes
translated into national English by Raymond Wills

Thanks a million for that great poem which describes so accurately the situation in Mytown where every last patch of green is being literally covered over with parking-lots, Big-Box stores or Motels.