Ode To Snow Poem by Emmanuel George Cefai

You
Fell into the night
Deep night
The winds had long been
Whirling
The waters on the small
Lake
Already had been in small
Crystals growing:
The night
Was deepening.

Ahi! The lovers
Were sleeping each
In a separate home
Dreaming of the
Other
whilst
The winds had long been
Whirling
The waters on the small
Lake
Already had been in small
Crystals growing:
The night
Was deepening.

The waters in the
High airs
Turned to snow.
The waters turned
To snow:
Heavy with
Offspring
Fell
Fell
Fell:
The night was deepening.

‘The usual story.' Said
The Monsignor
Dressed
In a mountain of clothes
Smoking
A cigar
With a flask of water
Mixed with alcohol
Imbibing
Now and then.

He too was tired
He too was sleeping.
By him burnt
The fading embers of a fading fire.

Snow
You bring most of this
- not all.

You
You
You
Have not kept
The time
From running deep
Deeper night
And
Then
The
First whiff
Of Dawn.


Turned guilt-faced
The snow crystals
Fire
Over the land
Of the first Dawn
Detective
Of the snows
Dawn asked ‘Why?
Why not melting? '

Melted
Slow yet
Irresistible
The snows on fire.
Waters turned hot.
The taps no longer
Froze.
The waters
Came out
Gushing.
The first birds flew
In bliss:
You
Did not conquer them
Snow
Now
Fading
Fading
Fading.
Your time's fading.