Village child

[Leanne]

Rumpled grey-sock days
scuffed-shoe, scabbed-knee days -- Personally, I like the repetition, it both enhances the rhythm and sets an innocent tone
distances were longer then
closer to the ground. -- I love this! I've always been convinced that I could jump so high when I was a kid that I would actually fly for a little bit

Dampstung colt legs buck
in awkward grace
to crazy rhythms -- for sound, I wouldn't mind another two-syllable word in here before "rhythms", but that's probably just the way I'm reading it
of bumping satchel books,
kick at invisible traces
along tree- tunnelled lanes
prevaricating -- I feel there should be some punctuation at the end of this line, perhaps even a colon
solitary.

Trees and fields grow thin -- excellent change of tone
draped in sad cobweb rags
of rising river mists
muddy leaves lie in heavy drifts
still, dull -- this line break created a problem for me (as) it wasn't clear that the (as) in the next line belonged to the simile rather than denoting action -- I wonder if you'd consider sticking "as the" up here after "dull"
as the blood -matted fur
and empty green eyes
of the tortoiseshell cat
in the gutter
dead. -- such a visceral ending

Well, doesn't that just leave us mourning our innocence?! Sorry I've gone a bit overboard on the breakdown, I just get a little overly excited sometimes