A Beautiful, Haunting Poem About Snow by Emily Dickinson

There are two ways to interpret a snowy day: an invitation to bundle up and stroll in the bracing air — or justification to grab a blanket, brew a cup of tea, and maybe wrangle a pet into lap napping.

To us, this poem implies the latter. We like to imagine Emily Dickinson, snug inside, face pressed up against the window, admiring a sparkling white blanket of snow that stretches across her field of vision.

It sifts from Leaden Sieves (291) — Emily Dickinson

• 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 deals Celestial Vail

• To Stump, and Stack - and Stem -
• A Summer’s empty Room -
• Acres of Joints, 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 -

Top image courtesy of Maragda Farràs/Unsplash.