March Morning
by James Hayford
I shoveled my last shovelful of deep snow
For this year when I broke up the remains
This morning of a solid seven-foot pile
At the conjunction of porch eaves and drive,
And threw it out to splotch the lifeless grass
For a few hours until the sun could work,
Stowing meanwhile the shovel in the loft
And finding the gathering pail to start the first
Round of my seven-maple sugar bush.
There's a very interesting piece on James Hayford and his connection to Robert Frost here. This poem so perfectly describes the pile of snow out back, on the north side of the house. It isn't quite "seven-foot" but is probably four feet. This is the accumulation of snow Tom has shoveled off the roof all winter.
Perfect poem, although it may still be awhile until we have a bare patch on which to scatter the snow pile. I was looking at one 12 foot pile today where the snow comes off the roof on the north side of the house and wondered how long until it might melt.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we both ought to start shoveling those piles, though I don't have any "lifeless grass" right now, either. :<) I think we haven't gotten as much snow as all around us have this winter.
ReplyDeleteI think our piles are down to 2 or 3 feet now ... :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter to you and your family, Nan!
xo,
Lynda
What lovely words and what a great face he has. My front yard still has 3 feet of snow on it where the city plow tends to drag all the street snow and leave it piled on my little garden. I'm always amazed to see my peony has survived yet again each season! :)
ReplyDelete