- For Gregory
Winter's final fury
unleashed itself
last night,
Today, St. John's, lies buried
in a blustering blizzard:
yes, winter's final fury
is bestowed this time
on you and yours,
my friend.
As Newfoundlanders
wake today to their cars
all humped in white,
hurricanes howling
through snow-clogged
streets with all their
awful might -
and men, womenfolk
and children
grit their teeth and get
their shovels out...
Here in Montréal,
it is uncharacteristically
balmy and mild
as I start my day
driving on clean
snow-scooped roads,
bright light
exploding
around me,
under sunny, azure skies.
There is no price tag
for the simple joy I felt
this Sunday afternoon;
thinking of your vicious
winter storm,
I said a prayer or two
for you, my friend.
(Transfiguration Sunday,
February 26th,2006)
(Sixty centimeters of snow
fell in St. John's, Newfoundland
on this date)
(Senneville, Québec, Canada)
Philippa Lane
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/blizzard-in-st-john-s/
