snow day
Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,
its white flag waving over everything,
the landscape vanished,
not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,
and beyond these windows
the government buildings smothered,
schools and libraries buried, the post office lost
under the noiseless drift,
the paths of trains softly blocked,
the world fallen under this falling.
In a while, I will put on some boots
and step out like someone walking in water,
and the dog will porpoise through the drifts,
and I will shake a laden branch
sending a cold shower down on us both.
But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,
a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.
I will make a pot of tea
and listen to the plastic radio on the counter,
as glad as anyone to hear the news
that the Kiddie Corner School is closed,
the Ding-Dong School, closed.
the All Aboard Children’s School, closed,
the Hi-Ho Nursery School, closed,
along with—some will be delighted to hear—
the Toadstool School, the Little School,
Little Sparrows Nursery School,
Little Stars Pre-School, Peas-and-Carrots Day School
the Tom Thumb Child Center, all closed,
and—clap your hands—the Peanuts Play School.
So this is where the children hide all day,
These are the nests where they letter and draw,
where they put on their bright miniature jackets,
all darting and climbing and sliding,
all but the few girls whispering by the fence.
And now I am listening hard
in the grandiose silence of the snow,
trying to hear what those three girls are plotting,
what riot is afoot,
which small queen is about to be brought down.
—
credit: Billy Collins, “Snow Day” from Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems (New York: Random House, 2001). Copyright © 2001 by Billy Collins.
Awww
>
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one of the grandie’s new adopted kitties, milo, enjoying the day )
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I like the poem, even if you didn’t write it…
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thanks, me too, and i love billy collins’ poems )
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Great choice of poetry, Beth. It helps me picture so much about those snow days free from work, like “early release” from high school. 🙂
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i love his writing, and glad to have triggered this happy memory for you )
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It seems you got your wish. Beautiful piece, and poem there. Bill
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i did, and i love his poems )
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Enjoy your snow day!
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thanks!
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Awesome! Love watching the snow when i am snug as a bug in a rug with lots of food and coffee and no reason to go out. Delightful – and sharing the time with a cat , who knows exactly how to maximize the enjoyment of watching, is ideal.
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yes )
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Those names are hilarious. 🙂
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aren’t they ? )
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shared!!!!! =^..^=
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Thanks !
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Ugh….my workplace was NOT closed! But then again…we only got flying dusties.
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sorry (
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Thank you, sometimes I get so excited with the possibility that when it doesn’t happen, it’s okay because it was so fun anticipating…… 😉
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i completely understand )
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Love this picture of the kitty looking at the snow.
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thanks, colline )
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I like the poem. How much snow did you get?
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2-10 inches depending on where you were –
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Billy Collins always does it for me. I love this one.
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yep, he’s great –
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Loved the poem. A perfect pairing with your photo!
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thanks, john –
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amazing
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thank you –
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Hello, darling kitty!
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isn’t he cute ?
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I’m totally on a cat kick of late! So, yes, very cute.
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)))
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