The Snow Storm
The old earth lying bare and cold
Beneath the winter sky
Behold the storm king marshal forth
The battle force on high
“Ah! Soon” she said “beneath the snow
Full warmly I shall lie
The wind unfurled his banners
And rushed into the frays
The round moon hid her jolly face
Within a cloud of grays
And not one single star peeped out
To drive away the gloom away
The snow encamped behind a cloud
Sent flying here and there
Its white winged herald to proclaim
Its presence in the air
Until at task, the fairy host
Burst from its cloudy lair
The snowflakes rushing downward
Each in a whirling dance
Before the winds are driven.
Like armies by the lance
But still upon the waiting earth
The shining hosts advance
The wild wind, shrieking as he goes
Flies fiercely to and fro
And strives, with all his mighty force
To sweep away the snow
But bravely still the soft flakes fall
Upon the Earth below
It Charges with no battle cry
But pure and soft and still
It falls upon the waiting earth
Its promise to fulfill
And foils the angry, shrieking wind
By force of gentle will
The foe has furled his banners
And hastened from the frays
The round moon peeps with jolly face
From out the cloud of gray
And all the stars come twinkling out
To see who gained the day
There all the earth lay shining
In garments pure and white
The snow fulfilled its mission
And, conquering in the fight
Had warmed the old earth to the heart
Beneath its mantle white.
St Nicholas