First Snow

Outside the snowstorm spins, and hides

The world beneath a pall.

Snowed under are the paper-girl,

The papers and the stall.

Quite often our experience

Has led us to believe

That snow falls out of reticence,

In order to deceive.

Concealing unrepentantly

And trimming you in white,

How often he has brought you home

Into the town at night!

While snowflakes blind and blanket out

The distance more and more,

A tipsy shadow gropes his way

And staggers to the door.

And then he enters hastily…

Again, for all I know,

Someone has something sinful to

Conceal in all this snow!