Promised Snow

The long promised snow is falling --- there is no wind. The only sound is a softened roar of the water rushing down the river and an occasional crack as ice breaks loose making its way towards the Delaware and eventually on out to the sea.

As the snow continues to fall in these early morning hours, it muffles the sounds of civilization so completely that I can actually hear the nearly imperceptible sounds of the flakes as they join the rest on the roof. We have about six inches of snow by daybreak as fine flakes continue to race out of the sky. After daylight snowflakes take on size and drift more slowly toward the ground.

By noon we have over a foot of snow, the sun has come out and the wind begins to blow sending showers of snow down from the trees as they free their branches of their heavy burden.

Sing welcome to the Dawn
Midnight.....
There is no sound in the forest -
only the phantom murmur
of the far wind
and the wind's shadow drifting
as smoke
through ebon branches; there a single star
glistens in the heart of night....
A star!
Look skyward now...
and see above...INFINITY
Vast and dark and deep
and endless....your heritage:
Silent clouds of stars,
Other worlds uncountable and other suns
beyond numbering
and realms of fire-mist and star-cities
as grains of sand....
drifting...
Across the void....
Across the gulf of night....
Across the endless rain of years....
Across the ages.
Listen!
Were you the star-born you should hear
That silent music of which the ancient sages spoke
Though in silent words...
Here then is our quest
and our world
and our Home.
Come with me now, Pilgrim of the stars,
For our time is upon us and our eyes
shall see the far country
and the shining cities of Infinity
which the wise men knew
in ages past, and shall know again
in the ages yet to be.
Look to the east....there shines
the Morning Star...soon shall the sunrise come...
We await the Dawn,
Rise, oh eternal light;
Awaken the World!
With trumpets and cymbals and harp and the sound
of glad song!
And now...
The clouds of night are rolled away;
Of the bright new day!
--- Robert Burnham Jr.