First Snow

The snow falls softly

2 am is always the perfect time

For the first serious snow

Of the season

Not the flurries that tease and taunt

Not the single snowflake

Swirling through the air

Never touching down

Escaped from the cloud

Determined to stay aloft

Not be caught

As only one fleeing persecution

Can run

Certainly not the snowfall

That simply coats the ground

Thumbing its nose

At hearts big and small

Saying prayers to any deity

That might grant their wish

For a much longed for delay

And the chance to make

Snow angels again

Not the tired snowfall

Of mid February

When the sky competes with the gutter

For dreariest slush color

But that magical first big snow

When a hush falls along with

Gossamer crystals

Delicate

Intricate

Ice sculptures

In miniature

A silence so absolute

You can hear each flake fall

Each landing cushioned

As they accumulate

Otherworldly fast

Such tiny creations

How many could there possibly be?

Silently floating

In this snow globe

That only I inhabit

To walk out

Into this wonderland

Listening

For the spell to break

Outstretched hand

Landing pad for ephemeral beauty

Observing the life span

Of something never alive

Even as you swear it shudders

The last instant before

It mimics the lone tear

On your cheek

And slides off your hand

Undone by your warmth

I stand here alone

Feeling less alone than ever before

Surrounded by a million souls

Infinite beauty

Silently cascading down

To stand beside me

There are few things as satisfying

As standing alone

In that first snow

It’s one of the few things

That makes me ponder

The existence of a mythical god

And once this snow has occurred

I feel a weight lift

And a feeling of peace

Settles over me

Just as the snow blankets the ground

The world beneath my feet

Is soft

It and I take a last long breath

Sighing as it drifts

Off to sleep

Cocooned in a thick blanket

Crystalline Eider down

Tucked under the chin

My dreams turn to Spring

Sue