THE SILVER THAW

The trees all crystallized they stand,
As if a fairy's magic wand
Transformed them in the silent night,
and left them sprayed in silvery white.

Tall slender saplings once so straight
Bends low beneath the icy weight,
And old king Sol's first morning rays
A dazzling spectacle displays.

White birches stand beside the hill,
they droops beneath the icy chill,
And fallen icicles below
Lies shattered on the crusted snow.

The alders and the willow trees,
Crackle and shimmer in the breeze,
But in the noonday sun's bright glare
Their coats of armour disappear.

Dame Nature with her magic wand
Spreads charm and beauty o'er the land,
But none is more unique and neat
Than trees transformed by frozen sleet.

WINTERTIME

When winter grips with icy hand,
And Jack Frost roams the forest deep,
Tall stalwart trees like sentinels stand
In silence while Dame Nature sleeps.

At night the silent forest snaps,
The snowshoe rabbit hops around,
And pine tops don their snowy caps
As white show flakes comes whirling down.

A gay woodpecker's loud tattoo
Re-echoes in the early light,
The old horned owl's weird, "Whoo whoo"
Disturbs the silence of the night.

The stars like lamps hang in the sky,
And northern lights dart to and fro,
As clouds obscure the moon on high
Dark shadows flit across the snow.

The slumbering rivers overflow
When spring at last breaks winter's chain,
And on their banks thick willows grow
Where songbirds warble their refrain.

Winter, 1949

THE FOUR SEASONS

Spring is the season when rebirth
appears, and Nature's unseen hand
Renews with life the quickened earth,
And spreads rare beauty o'er the land.

Then Summer's rain and glowing sun
Matures vast fields of waving grain;
And culminates what Spring begun
As Autumn follows in its train.

At Autumn, harvesting begin
With reaper, and with threshing mill,
And Summer crops are garnered in
As days grow short and nights grow chill.

Then Winter comes with icy breath,
And blankets earth with fallen snow,
Then nature sleeps secure beneath
'Til wakened by the Spring's warm glow.

The seasons all throughout the year,
Each hath their own appointed place,
And each an allotted role to bear,
As earth keeps rolling on in space.

May, 1950

MIGRATION TIME

When northern lights flit o'er the sky,
And Arctic winds blow chill,
The honking geese bestir themselves
Their larders to refill.

They know migration time has come,
And soon on wings of flight,
They'll speed away to warmer climes
Far from the Arctic night.

They preen their feathers, test their wings,
And soon they're flying high,
These feathered squadrons from the north
In V-formations fly.

Their instinct is their chart and guide
By night as well as day,
Until they settle down upon
Some quiet lake or bay.

And there beneath the sunny skies
Far from the north's domain,
They spend vacation's term until
It's moving time again.

Then feathered squadrons from the south
When spring breaks winter's chain,
In V-formation back they'll fly
To northern haunts again.

WINTER SCENES

The snow flakes from the ether world
Comes whirling down in flight,
And soon the bosom of the earth
Lies clothed in spotless white.

King Winter with his magic wand
O'er earth a mantle throws,
And seats upon a crystal throne
The Lady of the Snows.

The borealis in the night
Lights up the northern sky,
And blazing sunsets shine and glint
On snow clad mountains high.

When winter nights are cold and clear
The stars like candles glow,
Moonbeams and shadows skip and dance
O'er fields of drifted snow.

A snow man on the corner lot,
Show shovel's grating sound,
And sparrows feeding 'round the door
Mean, winter's come to town.

January, 1949

GROUND HOG'S DAY

Old Bruin awoke, and fumed awhile,
Then lumbered from his lair,
He looked all-round both up and down,
And growled and sniffed the air.

Again midwinter had arrived,
The temperature was low,
His shadow he could plainly see
Upon the crusted snow.

Growled he "The winter will be long,
It's just about half o'er,
Snow's in the air I greatly fear
So I'll retire once more."

The ground hog too was sitting by
The door of his domain,
Quoth he "It's cold and I am old,
I'll go to bed again."

Again these two went back to sleep
The ground hog and the bear,
To dream and snore six weeks or more,
And spring will then be near.

WHAT THE SPARROW CHIRPED

It was a bright cold winter's day
When snow lay on the ground,
And the earth lay 'neath it's mantle
For many miles around.

A little flock of sparrows
Came fluttering through the air;
And soon they all were busy
Pecking bread crumbs scattered near.

And then one little fellow
More braver than the rest,
Came hopping up towards me,
And this was his address.

"I am only a little sparrow,
A bird of low degree;
And my food is sometimes scanty,
But there's One who cares for me."

"He gave me a coat of feathers,
They are very fine I know,
For they keeps me warm in winter
When the wintry winds do blow."

"He sees each fallen sparrow,
And hears their plaintive cry;
He counts us all each evening
When night is drawing nigh."

"Our earthly friends show kindness,
And strew bread crumbs around;
They pity us poor sparrows
When snow lies on the ground."

"My little heart is grateful
For food that's given free,
I know my feathered cousins
All think the same as me."

"Although I'm not a songster
I'll do the best I can,
To cheer you up each morning
When spring smiles on the land."

And when their meal was ended
Back to the eave they flew;
They all were filled and happy,
And it made me happy too.

January, 1946

OLD MAN WINTER

When old man Winter from the north
Comes sweeping down from Arctic lands,
He show no favors as he grips
All nature with his icy hands.

All life is dead in frozen soil
That lies beneath earth's mantle white;
And sturdy oaks stand stripped and nude
Like specters in the starlit night.

The snow flakes whirl around our door,
As biting winds go rushing past,
And when we venture out our ears
And fingers tingle in the blast.

Though winter may act rough and rude,
And boisterous winds may howl and whine;
Yet there's sweet comfort in the thought
That Spring is not so far behind.

Then old man Winter will depart,
And Spring again will smile on earth
With budding trees and springing flowers,
And nature shall regain new birth.

January, 1947