When the blizzard rages outside, it’s a good time to read some poetry. Snowstorms and snowy days can be harsh and sometimes threatening, but also contain such rare opportunities to see natural beauty. Here is a poem by Emily Dickinson, titled “It sifts from leaden sieves” that manages to describe this sense of beauty.
It sifts from leaden sieves
It sifts from leaden sieves,
It powders all the wood,
It fills with alabaster wool
The wrinkles of the road.
It makes an even face
Of mountain and of plain,
Unbroken forehead from the east
Unto the east again.
It reaches to the fence,
It wraps it, rail by rail,
Till it is lost in fleeces;
It flings a crystal veil
On stump and stack and stem,
The summer’s empty room,
Acres of seams where harvests were,
Recordless, but for them.
It ruffles wrists of posts,
As ankles of a queen,
Then stills its artisans like ghosts,
Denying they have been.
—
Photo tip: Unusual weather conditions often create interesting photos. This photo was taken near my house in the middle of a blizzard. I kept my camera in its case and only took it out briefly to take the photo. The lens was instantly covered in snow–a good reason also to have a UV filter on your lens for protection.