Bon Hiver

Beautiful Snow

by Joseph Warren Watson

 Oh! The snow, the beautiful snow,

Filling the sky and the earth below,

Over the housetops, over the street,

Over the heads of people you meet.

Dancing, 

         Flirting, 

                Skimming along,

Beautiful snow! It can do no wrong;

Flying to kiss a fair lady's cheek,

Clinging to lips in frolicksome freak;

Beautiful snow from heaven above,

Pure as an angel, gentle as love!

Oh, the snow, the beautiful snow,

How the flakes gather and laugh as they go

Whirling about in maddening fun:

Chasing, 

        Laughing, 

                Hurrying by.

It lights on the face and it sparkles the eye;

And the dogs with a bark and a bound

Snap at the crystals as they eddy around;

The town is alive, and its heart is aglow,

To welcome the coming of beautiful snow. . . .

                                             By J.W. Watson

I cut off the poem at the airy and lite part of the story.  For the complete version that travels into darkness and despair followed by personal redemption, go to the following link.  Crafted around the time of the Civil War, the full poem is masterful. 

http://allpoetry.com/poem/8626155-Beautiful-Snow-by-Joseph-Warren-Watson

Complimenting this poem is the following blog post with amazing pictures of individual snow flake crystals – two are never the same.  The pictures are incredible, especially from a duck tapped collection of parts that comprise the camera.  You have to scroll a little to get to the snowflake pictures but it is well worth it.

http://chaoticmind75.blogspot.ru/2013/08/my-technique-for-snowflakes-shooting.html

Finally, here is how I was introduced to the Beautiful Snow poem through the TV show Northern Exposure.  Enjoy, it frames out the coming of winter which occurs this Saturday evening.  The darkest evening of the year.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lygv4IAZPKc

Bon hiver one and all.