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